Archaeology Royal Ontario Museum
monograph
1
g —
r^
OQ
o
-1 —
oo
^
**
"*
us
o
2 =
IT)
O
DC
^—
**
co
7 —
r~-
■
OYAL
CO
oe
F£8
LIBRARY
ROYAC GfCffelBO Mi£
Excavations at
Actun Polbilche,
Belize
David M. Pendergast
ROM
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
Royal Ontario Museum
http://archive.org/details/excavationsatactOOpend
Archaeology Royal Ontario Museum
monograph
1
Excavations at
Actun Polbilche,
Belize
David M. Pendergast
with analysis of faunal material by
Elizabeth Luther
Publication date: 28 February 1974
ISBN 0-88854-033-7
Suggested citation: Arch. Monogr. ROM
Royal Ontario Museum
Publications in Archaeology
The Royal Ontario Museum publishes Archaeology Monographs, a
numbered series of original publications, and Archaeology Papers, a
numbered series of primarily shorter original publications. All manuscripts
considered for publication are subject to the editorial policies of the
Royal Ontario Museum, and to review by persons outside the Museum staff
who are authorities in the particular field involved.
Art and Archaeology Editorial Board
Chairman: R. L. Peterson
Editor: T. Cuyler Young, Jr.
Associate Editor: D. M. Pendergast
Associate Editor: Veronika Gervers-Molnar
David M. Pendergast is Associate Curator, Office of the Chief Archaeologist,
Royal Ontario Museum. He was Field Director of the ROM Altun Ha
Expedition, 1964-1971.
Price: $4.00
© The Royal Ontario Museum, 1974
100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada M5S 2C6
Printed by The Hunter Rose Company
Contents
List of Figures, v
List of Tables, v
List of Plates, v
Introduction, 1
The Site, 5
Setting, 5
Site Description, 9
Excavation, 13
Ceramics, 15
Vessel Descriptions, 17
General Discussion, 38
Non-Ceramic Artifacts, 48
Unmodified Vegetal Material, 61
Faunal Material: Analysis by Elizabeth Luther, 62
Summary and Conclusions, 81
Addendum: Batty's Cave, 85
Bibliography, 87
Plates, 91
Figures
1. Map of British Honduras (Belize) with site locations, 6
2. Plan of the cave, 8
3. Section of the cave, 10
4. Pottery vessels 2/1,2/2, 2/4, 2/6 and 2/13, 18
5. Pottery vessels 2/3 and 2/5, 20
6. Pottery vessels 2/9 and 2/10, 22
7. Pottery vessels 2/1 1 and 2/12, 24
8. Pottery vessels 2/14, 3/1 , 3/2, 5/2 and 5/3, 26
9. Pottery vessels 5/4, 5/5, 6/1 , 6/2 and 6/3, 30
1 0. Pottery vessels 6/4, 6/5, 6/6, 6/7 and 7/1 , 34
1 1 . Non-ceramic artifacts and Batty's Cave vessel, 50
Tables
1. Distribution and relationships of neck height and orifice diameter, 40
2. Vessel liquid capacities, by volumes and weights (water), 43
Plates
1. The entrance to Actun Polbilche, 91
2. Chamber I, seen from entrance area, 92
3. Alcove I, prior to excavation, 93
4. Alcove II, seen from Alcove I, 94
5. The area of the wooden box, 95
6. The box area after removal of stones, 95
7. Close-up of the wooden box in situ, 96
8. The box after conservation treatment, 96
9. The wooden spear from Alcove I, 97
10. Animal tooth beads from lot AP 5/13, 99
11. Vessel 2/1, 100
12. Vessel 3/2, 101
13. Base of vessel 3/2, 101
14. Vessel 2/9, 102
15. Vessel 2/10, 103
Introduction
In mid-1970, at the end of the final season at Altun Ha, Belize (British
Honduras), word came to me via Mrs. E. W. Craig of Belize City that a cave
had been discovered on the Sibun River which contained, amongst other
things, a wooden spear. As this news arrived just at the time when my wife
and I were scheduled to depart the country, I had no opportunity to follow
up the report in that year. I filed the information away in a special mental
compartment used for storage of archaeological leads, with the reservations
one could expect to accompany a report of a wooden object mysteriously
preserved in the tropical humidity of the Maya area. Such tales, together
with even more numerous stories of giant statues, gold, diamonds, and the
like, crop up frequently in that part of the world, leading the archaeologist to
develop a rather wary attitude toward all but the most plausible reports.
While tales of gold and diamonds can be cast out easily enough in the Maya
area, it often happens that other reports of unusual sites and objects are
made in perfectly good faith, although a trip to the discovery usually reveals
that it is not quite what it seemed to be. Nonetheless, all such reports
must be checked out if only because the law of averages dictates that at
least a few will be sufficiently rewarding to repay many times over the effort
expended on the remainder. Accordingly, upon my return to Belize at the
beginning of 1971, I contacted Mrs. Craig, and through her met Mrs. Lucy
Woods and her son Richard, owner and manager respectively of the
property on which the cave lies. With their co-operation, we made plans
for an initial examination of the site in the latter part of January.
Richard Woods, discoverer of the cave, was able to provide more detailed
information than I had been given the previous year. It now developed
that in addition to the wooden spear there was supposedly a small wooden
box concealed beneath a number of intentionally-placed flat stones. The
box was found by the late Mrs. Peter Burn during the visit of a group of
persons to the cave, led by Mr. Woods, following the initial visit of which a
brief popular report was published by one member of the group (Malone
1971). Two of the pottery vessels mentioned in the report were unfortunately
removed from the cave by Mr. Woods and subsequently were taken to the
United States, where they remain at present. The same fate seems to have
befallen a third vessel and a small number of non-ceramic artifacts as well.
In the hope of obtaining data on the missing material for inclusion in this
report I delayed publication for as long as possible, but the hope remains
unfulfilled, and in this respect the archaeological data from the cave are
incomplete.
With Mr. Woods' information in hand, my wife, Mrs. Craig and I set out in
January for the Woods' ranch, Glenwood, at Churchyard in the western
Belize District. Upon fording the Sibun River and reaching the ranch, we met
Mr. Woods and made the short but tortuous trip to the cave, which lies
southeast of the ranch-house. In the day available to us we carried out a
1
reconnaissance of the cave, including the main chamber and two alcoves in
which archaeological material lay. In addition, we explored portions of
the surrounding terrain in order to be able to place the cave accurately on
topographic maps of the region. The reconnaissance served as the basis
for the next stage of the investigation of the site, which was carried out early
in February. It also showed that the earlier reports were indeed true; both
the spear and the box lay in one of the alcoves, having somehow escaped
the fate of almost all the wooden objects which were once so important
a part of Maya culture.
On February 2, after obtaining advice from Mr. Bernard Leech, Associate
Curator-in-Charge of the Conservation Department, ROM, regarding
possibilities of field treatment of the wooden box and methods of handling
and removal of the artifact, we returned to the cave with a specially-
prepared container and other materials necessary for recovery and transpor-
tation of the box. This process required only part of the available time,
the remainder of which was spent in further reconnaissance of the site, as
well as notation of the nature and extent of the archaeological remains,
in preparation for excavation. Photographing, begun during the first trip to
the site, was continued at this time with concentration on the wooden box
and its contents. In addition, further notes were made on the flora of the
area and on the general geographic setting of the site.
In mid-March, my wife, Mr. Claus Breede (then Scientific Illustrator in the
Office of the Chief Archaeologist, ROM) and I returned to the cave to
undertake mapping of the site and excavation of the archaeological deposit.
By this time, consultation with several of the Maya men from the village
of San Jose Succotz with whom we had worked at Altun Ha had produced
the name Actun Polbilche ("Cave of the Wood") for the site. This name
seemed particularly fitting both because of the presence of wooden artifacts
and also because of the name of the cave's owner and discoverer.
While at the site during the third stage of the investigations, Mr. Breede
produced a plan of the cave and an elevation of the slope leading from the
entrance to a small stream below, and also collected data for the cave
section. My wife and I carried out the bulk of the excavation, with assistance
from Mr. Breede following his completion of the mapping work. As the
archaeological deposit proved to be comparatively shallow, the excavation
was completed in the short space of three days. We had hoped to return
later in the season for additional reconnaissance in the area of the cave, but
circumstances prevented the trip. We are, however, as certain as it is
possible to be in such cases that all chambers of Actun Polbilche were
located, and all archaeological materials at the site recovered.
Following excavation of the cave, the vessels and other materials from the
site were transported to the laboratory established at Belmopan, the new
capital of Belize, for analysis of Altun Ha ceramics. Here Mr. Breede
prepared the plan of the site and did initial work on drawings of the vessels
and some other materials from the site, while my wife carried out colour
determinations on all ceramic specimens. In addition, photographs were
made of all vessels and the wooden spear, as these objects were not
removed from the country. Smaller artifacts, including the wooden box, were
brought to the ROM for treatment and analysis.
At the museum, the continuing efforts of Mr. Leech and Mr. Jim Chalmers of
his department staff were responsible for preservation and reconstruction
of the box, as well as for identification of the material of the pigment
samples, an effort in which Dr. R. I. Gait, Associate Curator, Department of
Mineralogy, ROM, offered valuable assistance. Dr. Gait also identified
the tempering materials in the two sherds available for detailed analysis, as
well as the stone used in manufacture of the small pendant AP 5/10.
Mrs. Leila Gad, of the Department of Botany, University of Toronto, who is
attached as well to the ROM staff, kindly undertook identification of seeds
and seed artifacts from the cave. The wood of the spear was identified
by Mr. Louis Lindo, then Chief Forest Officer for Belize, while the box and
fragments of wood found in its vicinity (some of which were used for
radiocarbon date determination) were examined by Dr. B. F. Kukachka of
the Center for Wood Anatomy Research, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Forest Products Laboratory. Mrs. Elizabeth Luther, a student at the University
of Toronto, examined and identified the unmodified faunal remains and
perforated animal teeth under the supervision of Dr. Howard Savage,
Research Associate in the Ornithology Department of the ROM. Mrs.
Georgina Hosek, staff artist in the Office of the Chief Archaeologist,
completed the drawings of pottery vessels and produced drawings of all of
the small artifacts except those associated with the wooden box in Lot AP-1,
as well as a section of the cave. Mr. David Findlay, also a staff artist in
the Office of the Chief Archaeologist, prepared the plates of drawings for
publication. The field and object photographs are my own work, with
the exception of the illustration of perforated animal teeth, over which Mr.
W. B. Robertson of the ROM Photography Department laboured long and
hard. That this report would not exist without the assistance of these
individuals is self-evident, as should be my gratitude to them all.
In the field, the presence of Mrs. Craig on our first journey to the cave
lightened our tasks immeasurably, and her knowledge of the local flora was
of great help in recording data from which the description of the site
setting was prepared. I am grateful also for the assistance of my wife, whose
willingness to work in trying conditions has, as on so many other occasions,
contributed in no small way to the success of the project. Mr. Woods'
enthusiastic assistance and his concern that the archaeological remains be
recorded and preserved were of course the basis for the entire undertaking.
I am indebted also to Mr. W. Ford Young of Belize City for information on
another occurrence of wooden spears in a Belize cave, and to J. Eric
S. Thompson for calling my attention to Seler's report of the discovery of
wooden objects in a Guatemalan cave, as well as providing me with the
correct spelling of polbilche, a word in which I had failed to note the almost
inaudible second "I". I must also acknowledge my debt to the Hon. A.
A. Hunter, Minister of Trade and Industry of the Government of Belize, whose
unflagging interest in the prehistory of Belize has been the key to our
successful prosecution of various archaeological programmes in the country
over the past nine years. Mr. Hunter took direct interest in the Actun
Polbilche excavations, and kindly granted permission for export to Canada
of artifacts from the site, thereby facilitating production of this report.
As the reader will learn from drawings and photographs, Actun Polbilche is
by no means a large site. If all those who helped in the excavation and
analysis of the archaeological materials were grouped together in the cave
there would scarcely be room left for the unusual and significant artifacts
described in the pages that follow.
D.M.P.
The Site
Setting
Actun Polbilche lies in a part of the country of Belize from which there is
almost no archaeological information of any sort. Situated on the southern
side of the Sibun River, south of the small settlement of Churchyard, the
site is accessible via the Belize -San Ignacio (Western) Highway and the
Churchyard Road, a rather rough 2.5 km. track which terminates at the north
bank of the Sibun. Crossing the river at this point brings one to Glenwood
Ranch, on which the cave lies, approximately 1.5 kilometres southeast of the
ranch-house. Though neither the 1 : 250,000 nor the more detailed 1 : 50,000
topographic maps of British Honduras (Belize) provide sufficient data for
precise location of the cave, correlation of land title survey sheets covering
the Glenwood acreage with larger maps indicates that the site is located
at approximately Latitude 1 7° 1 7' 45" N. and Longitude 88° 33' 51 " W.
(Fig. 1). Elevation in the area ranges from less than 100 feet at the Sibun to a
maximum of approximately 400 feet in the immediate vicinity of the cave.
While the land along both banks of the Sibun is relatively level, ranging from
"flat pine ridge" savannah north of the river to lightly-forested alluvial
soils in the areas bordering the watercourse, the terrain in which the cave is
located is extremely rugged. At the southern limit of the Sibun alluvial
terraces is an area of deeply dissected terrain marked by steep hills
interspersed with deep, narrow canyons. This karstic region is an eastern
outlier of the Maya Mountains, and the nature of the limestone throughout
the zone, coupled with the presence of underground and surface streams,
makes it an ideal setting for the development of caves. Though this outlying
hilly zone has been less thoroughly explored than some portions of the
Maya Mountains, there is nevertheless a strong indication from available
data that it contains as many caves as does the more elevated region to the
south and west.
The vegetation cover in the Sibun Hills is shown by Wright ef a/. (1959: 289
and Vegetation Map Sheet 1) as Chiquebul-Cherry Deciduous seasonal
forest, 70-100 feet high. This forest type is characterized not only by Achras
chicle Pittier and Allophylus cominia (L.) Swartz which give it its name, but
also by ramon (Trophis racemosa [L.] Urban), bullhoof (Drypetes Brownii),
sapote (Achras zapota L.), copal (Protium copal [Schlect and Cham.]
Engl.), cedar (Cedrela mexicana Roem.), and fiddlewood (Wfex Gaumeri
Greenm.). In addition, survey in the area of Actun Polbilche recorded cohune
palm {Orbignya cohune [Mart.] Dahlgren), escoba palm (Crysophilia
argentea Bartlett), bayleaf palm (Sabal mauritiiformis [Karst.] Griseb. and
Wendl.), the delightfully spiny pork-and-doughboy palm (Bactris major
Jacq.), ferns of various genera including Adiantum, Asplenium, and
Salaginella, various species of Anthurium and Philodendron, Syngonium
spp., Rhoeo discolor, Achmaea bracteata, Catopsis sp. (?), Tillandsia spp.,
and the seemingly omnipresent guardian of all bush trails, saw grass
(Scleria bracteata Cav.).
ME X I C O
30 30 40 SC
Fig. 1
Map of British Honduras (Belize), showing location of Actun Polbilche, other archaeological
sites, and principal modern settlements.
While the Chiquebul-Cherry Deciduous forest swathes most of the area of
the cave, there is also a distinctive pattern on the top of at least one of
the hills adjacent to that containing the cave. Here the heavy forest gives
way to an open, comparatively barren vegetational cover including cacti, with
little growth above a few metres in height. This pattern, not separately de-
scribed for the area by Wright ef a/., appears to result from the virtual absence
of soil on the rocky hilltop. Soils of the hilly area are shown by Wright ef al.
(1959: 82, 103, and Soils Map Sheet 1) as skeletal, grading to Quamina
silty clay loam in valleys and on river terraces of the Sibun. Observation,
reinforced by numerous ungraceful tumbles during climbs to and from the
cave, indicated that the hill soils are clayey and extremely slippery when
damp. None of the area in the vicinity of the cave, and in fact very little of
this portion of the Sibun Hills, appears suited to agriculture either ancient or
modern. No ancient agricultural terraces, such as are know to occur in
the Cayo District, were observed in the vicinity of Actun Polbilche, but a
much more thorough survey would be required before any definitive
statement on this matter could be made. The river terraces within less than
a kilometre of the cave would have provided ideal soils for intensive
cultivation, and there is in fact evidence of ancient Maya occupation in areas
bordering the southern bank of the Sibun on the Glenwood property.
The only archaeological site previously reported from the Sibun Hills area
is Batty's Cave, reconnaissance of which was briefly described by Gann
(1929: 244-6). This cave may well be one which lies just west of Actun
Polbilche, and which has for some time been a favourite visiting-spot for
local excursionists, with the result that it now contains only a few traces of
ancient use. Mounds were noted by Gann (1929: 246-7) in the vicinity
of Batty's Cave; these are probably the structures visible today just west of
the Glenwood ranch-house. Apart from Gann's brief investigation, this area
of the Sibun Hills seems not to have attracted the attention of archaeologists
until our arrival on the scene in 1971.
Actun Polbilche lies in a hill bordered on its eastern and northern flanks by
a small stream, intermittent during the unusually dry 1970-71 rainy and
dry seasons, though with sufficient flow of water in January to fill boots more
than adequately during the walk downstream required to reach an open area
in the forest at the hill base. Some confusion exists as to the name of this
stream and that of a larger creek which enters the Sibun River farther east,
at Tiger Run. The topographic maps show the latter as Ventura Creek,
but land-title survey sheets for Glenwood Ranch give this name to the
intermittent stream. In any case, the creek is too small to have been of any
great importance to the ancient Maya, especially in view of the presence
of the Sibun only a short distance away. From the level of the stream the
moderately steep slope of the hill rises 24.15 metres to the base of the cave
mouth. Numerous small pockets and overhangs dot the limestone of the
slope, but there is no indication of ancient modification or use of any portion
of the hill between the stream and the cave entrance.
7
m
H?
1
Actun
Polbilche
Belize District
ALCOVE I
<^
CHAMBER I
ALCOVE II
Fig. 2
Plan of the cave, omitting the talus slope at the rear. The opening to the space beneath
Alcove I is indicated by dashed lines.
8
Site Description
The cave consists of a high, very narrow curving fissure in the hillside, with
an even narrower opening partially blocked at the base by a large angular
piece of roof fall (Figs. 2 and 3; Pis. 1 and 2). The entrance lies in the south
face of the hill, and from it the principal chamber of the cave trends north-
northwestward for approximately 13 metres, to a point at which the cleft
narrows sharply and the cave floor commences a steep upward slope in a
passage running almost due west. Much of the slope base is roof fall and
detritus, but it appears that beneath this material lies a floor which parallels
the existing surface. The slope rises over a lateral distance of 16 metres,
nearly meeting the 15-metre-high chamber roof at what is effectively the
western end of the cave. However, at the north side of the slope just below
the top is a low horizontal opening, apparently either an ancient crevice or
the space left beneath a huge spall from the cave ceiling. Crawling into this
opening leads one to a low passage running approximately southwestward,
which eventually opens out onto a ledge in another cave with its entrance
on the west side of the same hill in which the main cave lies. Limited
exploration of this second cave produced a single unslipped sherd, but no
other evidence of human use.
Within Actun Polbilche, the main chamber (designated Chamber I), which is
essentially flat-floored, showed no signs of ancient occupation or use.
The principal features of archaeological interest were two small chambers
or alcoves which extend northeastward and southwestward from the
main chamber at points near the base of the slope described above. The
northern alcove, designated Alcove I, is the area in which the bulk of the
archaeological material was concentrated, while Alcove II, across the main
chamber, held only a few vessels (Pis. 3 and 4). Alcove I, with a floor
area of approximately 3 by 8.5 metres, lies 4.4 metres above the floor of
Chamber I, and has a ceiling height of approximately 10 metres. Alcove II,
3.5 metres long by less than 1 metre wide, lies 4.5 metres above the
Chamber I floor, and the narrow slit which forms its upper area appears to
extend to approximately the level of the Chamber I ceiling.
In addition to the two main lateral extensions from Chamber I, a low-ceilinged
space extends into the north cave wall from a point just west of the access
area for Alcove I, running partly beneath the southern end of the alcove
(see Fig. 2). No archaeological material was encountered in this area. There
is also a complex series of small pockets and tubes extending from the
northern end of Alcove I, running vertically and laterally to the north-north-
west, with connections to pockets at the border of the talus slope, but
with untraced extent. Several rocks appeared to have been piled at the
alcove end of this feature, presumably an attempt by the ancient Maya to
create a separation between the alcove and this tortuous passage.
Exploration of this area was pursued until a combination of extremely
'%--y
/■^
rwr^iffifl'r
Fig. 3
Idealized section of the cave, as seen from the entrance area, with Alcove I at the right and
Alcove II at the left. Not to precise scale.
limited space and considerable loose rock made further penetration of the
tubes seem inadvisable.
Neither of the alcoves is as difficult of access as those occurring in some of
the Cayo District caves, although to reach Alcove II we were forced to
traverse a narrow ledge running at an angle upward to the alcove mouth
from a point partway up the talus slope. In the case of Alcove I, the climb to
the floor level had almost certainly been simplified by the ancient Maya
through placement of several large rocks and a section of a large stalactite
at the base of the access area (PI. 2). Apart from this rock pile and the
partial closure of the small passage at the northwest end of Alcove I, the
only other possible ancient modification of the cave forms consists of minor
cutting and filling around the large block of roof fall at the cave entrance.
The cave appears to have been formed by the action of a subterranean
stream, as is true of many of the Cayo District caves. The stream probably
entered the area through a joint at the west, forming originally a compara-
10
tively low-ceilinged channel which may have had its base at a stratum of
limestone more resistant than the overlying material. Formation of the
alcoves may have begun with the entry of stream water into lateral crevices,
with later enlargement occurring during temporary stabilization of the
stream base at the resistant stratum. This stratum lies just above the bases
of the two alcoves, protruding from the sidewalls both here and in the
main chamber. Undercutting of the stratum occurred as entrenchment of the
meandering stream followed erosion of the resistant layer. A rapid drop
in water level during this entrenchment probably accounts for formation of
the alcove floors, rather than continuation of lateral erosion down to the
eventual floor level of Chamber I. Apart from the various stream-cutting
lines in the cave walls (see PI. 2), the presence of surface pitting and erosion
similar to that encountered in and around the stream at the hill base attests
the role of flowing water in the formation of Actun Polbilche.
The presence of the stalactite fragment in the pile below Alcove I is
surprising, as there is very little evidence in any part of the cave to suggest
that the stream action was accompanied or followed by ceiling drip. Much of
the site appears, in fact, to have been markedly drier in the past than
previously-explored caves in the country, a condition which may have
contributed to preservation of some normally perishable artifacts. At present,
however, the amount of dampness in the site approaches that common
in other caves. Excavators working in Alcove I were occasionally surprised,
and moved to exclamations, by drops of cold water on the backs of their
necks, and lighting of the alcove ceiling revealed the jewel-like coating of
water droplets found in most caves.
No cave in the Maya lowlands is truly dry, of course, as the airborne humidity
is usually almost the same as that outside the cave, except possibly in the
innermost chambers. Presence of this condition at Actun Polbilche was
indicated by readings made in Alcove I with a sensitive instrument at 9:30
a.m. on two successive days in mid-March, which showed 78° and 88%
humidity on the first day, with 75° and 92% humidity on the second. These
readings, plus the presence of what are probably condensation drips
from the ceiling, are evidence of an atmosphere in which the preservation of
wooden or other perishable objects is hardly to be expected, and it thus
seems likely that conditions within the cave have changed rather drastically
in comparatively recent times. In this connection, Richard Woods' obser-
vations regarding changes in the cave structure may be significant.
At the time of his first entry into Actun Polbilche in 1968, Woods explored
the main chamber, both alcoves, and the talus slope area. As he was well-
equipped with lights, his exploration was far more thorough than the usual
first entry made by local individuals stumbling on a site. In climbing the
talus slope, Woods noted that the cave ended at the top, with no indications
of passages continuing farther nor any signs of light in the area. Upon
11
his return to the cave in 1970, he noted that light could be seen at the top of
the talus slope, and the low opening mentioned above, which ultimately
was found to lead to another cave, could be entered. Examination of the
cave roof in 1971 showed that a crack ranging from half a metre to at least
a metre in width had developed, admitting light and presumably creating
a draft which would result in increased humidity throughout the site.
Perhaps, had discovery and excavation not occurred when they did, the
perishable objects preserved at the site would have succumbed to the effects
of environmental changes, and we would be left with a far less complete
picture of prehistoric use of the cave than we now have.
12
Excavation
In most sites, cave or surface, relatively little archaeological material is
visible above ground, and excavation is necessary simply to determine what
sorts and amounts of material are present. In Actun Polbilche, almost
the reverse was true. In Alcove II, the nearly complete absence of deposit
overlying the stone floor of the area made it absolutely clear from the
outset that the several vessels visible were the only archaeological material
present, and no excavation was necessary. Vessels were mapped in situ,
their descriptions and positions (i.e., whether upright, inverted, or on their
sides) were noted, and they were then removed. In Alcove I, much the
same procedure was followed in the case of the pottery vessels, although
here we discovered that sherds and other material lay buried in a stratum of
dark blackish-brown soil which carpeted the alcove floor.
Mapping and recording of vessel positions in Alcove I was followed by
removal of all whole specimens plus all visible sherds. In each case vessel
contents, if any, were noted, then removed and boxed. Vessels occurring
in recognizably separate groups in the alcove were given individual lot
numbers, and the groupings were considered in collection of sherds and
other materials as well. As the presence of a quantity of various types of
beads at the north end of the alcove had been noted on first examination of
the site, this area was investigated separately, and materials from a small
niche in the north wall, though probably part of the bead group, were
likewise considered as a separate unit. Once all surface material had been
recorded and removed, excavation of the alcove deposit was begun,
working from the north wall southward toward the alcove entrance.
Excavation showed the dark soil stratum to vary in thickness from 1 to 7 cm.,
with a transitional layer below, yellowish-brown in colour and 1 to 2 cm.
thick, overlying yellowish clayey soil. Most of the beads were concentrated
in the top 2 to 3 cm. of the dark stratum, but sherds were recovered
throughout this stratum, and a few were found in the transitional layer as
well. The yellowish soil beneath the transitional layer contained no sherds or
other cultural material save in rare instances at its junction with the tran-
sitional zone, where a few sherds of a single vessel (AP 7/1) were recovered.
The depth of the yellowish stratum was found to be 12 cm. or more in the
various areas probed, but as the layer contained no archaeological remains
below its junction with the transitional zone, no attempt was made to
excavate the entire alcove to its stone base. While the yellowish soil was
archaeologically sterile, it contained large quantities of faunal remains, and
approximately 50% of the faunal sample recovered comes from the upper
5 cm. of this stratum and from the transitional zone.
As complete sorting of the material from the upper stratum and the tran-
sitional zone was impractical in the dimness of the alcove, excavation was
limited to trowelling of the deposit in small areas and removal of any visible
artifacts, followed by screening of the material with fine-mesh strainers
13
and bagging of everything retained by the screen for later examination in the
laboratory. This procedure was continued for approximately two-thirds of
the length of the alcove, until a point was reached at which the thinning of
the dark stratum to less than 1 cm. and the absence of any cultural material
indicated that no further excavation was necessary.
In one small pocket at the east wall of the alcove near the southern limit
of the floor area, an amount of dark soil larger than that in surrounding areas
was noted, and additional excavation was undertaken here. Probing
revealed that dark brown, powdery soil, lighter in colour and with a lower
content of decayed organic matter than the artifact-bearing stratum farther
north in the alcove, extended to a depth of more than 30 cm. in the pocket.
The base of the deposit could not be reached due to narrowing of the
sides of the pocket, but it appeared that no cultural material was present in
the lower portions of the soil. In the upper zone, however, lay sherds of a
fragmentary bowl (AP 5/5) of which other sherds were found on the surface
at the north end of the alcove. With examination of this single pocket,
excavation of Alcove I was completed.
Upon conclusion of work at the cave, materials recovered were transported
to the project's laboratory at Belmopan for examination and recording.
The screened soil from Alcove I was further sorted by a series of processes
beginning with soaking of the material and flotation of the lighter portion. This
process separated organic remains, principally seed fragments and partially-
decayed leaves, from the heavier constituents, and also yielded numerous
small fragments of charcoal and all of the beads in lot AP 5/8. Subsequently
the heavier material, which included many small lumps of clayey soil, was
washed several times and passed through 1/»-inch screen to separate the
larger particles from the remainder. The portion caught by the 1/4-inch
screen was dried and sorted and all artifacts, whole seeds, faunal remains
and other significant material removed, after which the residue was
discarded.
Material which passed through the screen was again washed several times,
then sieved with fine-mesh strainers. The wet material which was not
retained by the fine mesh was checked and found to be devoid of cultural
remains. The portion retained by the strainers was dried and sorted, and all
artifacts and faunal remains collected. Though this was a rather tedious
process, it resulted in recovery of all artifacts from the excavated deposit,
plus an excellent sample of very small animal bones. Barring the presence
of undiscovered chambers in the cave, we can be even surer than usual that
the collection reported here constitutes the entire range of archaeological
material, plus a fully representative sample of the faunal remains.
14
Ceramics
Because the number of vessels from Actun Polbilche is small in comparison
with the collections from most reported sites in the Maya area, and more
particularly because most of the vessels either are whole or proved to be
reconstructable from sherds, each has been described separately as part of
the group in which it occurred in the alcoves. This treatment serves to
emphasize the individual variation amongst the specimens rather than sub-
merging differences, as is usually the result of lumping together of vessels
into broad categories. For a larger collection, separate vessel descriptions
would be neither advisable nor possible, but for this small group such
treatment seems the best approach, especially as the pottery comes from a
previously unknown area. The descriptions follow the form of those in
earlier reports on Cayo District caves (Pendergast 1969, 1970, 1971), and as
in those instances I have decided against establishment of types or varieties
on the basis of this sample, particularly as I could see nothing to be
gained by encumbering the vessels with multi-part names.
As in earlier reports, colour standards and nomenclature are those of
Ridgway (1912), and shape categories follow Smith (1955:4), with the
following additions: basins, as defined in the Eduardo Quiroz Cave report
(Pendergast 1971 :24), and bottles, a term utilized for a distinctive jar variant
in the Rio Frio Cave E report (Pendergast 1970:39). The range of shapes
represented in the Actun Polbilche collection is small, including only bowls,
vessels with unrestricted orifice and height equal to but not less than
one-third of diameter; dishes, vessels with unrestricted orifice and height
between one-third and one-fifth of diameter; basins, resembling dishes
or bowls in height : diameter ratio, but of markedly larger size than vessels
of these standard categories; jars, with restricted orifice, generally globular
or subglobular in outline but with two new profiles amongst the specimens
described here; a single vase, a cylindrical to barrel-shaped vessel with
height much greater than diameter; and one bottle, a highly specialized
form with elongated neck and biconvex body profile. The terms ring base
and pedestal base employed here are specific rather than general, denoting
the intermediate and tall base forms, as opposed to the vestigial or ex-
tremely low base, which is termed annular. Although no metrical criteria can
presently be used to separate the three forms, distinction of one from
another is relatively easy in practice, especially with a sample larger than
that available in this case.
The presence of so many complete jars in the collection has permitted
abandonment of absolute categories of neck height employed by Smith
(1955:4) in favour of classification based on the ratio of overall height to
neck height, with the latter measurement taken from the interior neck/body
junction. Very low necks are those in which overall vessel height is
8.6-10.0 times neck height, low necks range from 7.1 to 8.1, and medium
from 4.7 to 6.1. A similar approach was used for descriptions of orifice
diameter: narrow denotes ratios of maximum body diameter to orifice
15
diameter of 4.2-4.9 : 1 ; medium 2.4-3.6 : 1 ; and wide, 1.5-2.0 : 1. Ratio
distributions, together with relationships between neck height and orifice
diameter, are given in Table 1, which appears in the general discussion
following vessel descriptions. It should be noted that the figures, and
perhaps the categories themselves, apply only to the Actun Polbilche
collection, and cannot be expected to be applicable to Maya jars in general,
nor even necessarily to other collections from the region in which this
site lies.
The undamaged condition of many of the vessels prevented measurement
of thickness of the lower body, but where possible variation in thickness
from rim to body is indicated. Categories follow Smith (1955:4): thin, 0.25-
0.5 cm.; medium-thick, 0.5-0.8 cm.; thick, 0.8-2.0 cm. Height of vessel
is full maximum height, including base where present, in all cases. As with
thickness, temper could not be examined in most of the whole vessels, and
statements regarding temper identification and size are based primarily
on sherds from Alcove I, which were examined with the aid of a 10 x lens,
plus two small fragments of nearly-complete vessels, which were subjected
to X-ray diffraction and crystallographic analysis. In addition, observations
of temper were found to be possible in cracks and worn areas on some
vessel surfaces.
Temper grain size description follows the terminology of the Rio Frio E and
Eduardo Quiroz reports (Pendergast 1970:11 and 1971 :25): minute grains
are invisible to the naked eye, while very small grains are barely visible,
small are readily visible, with diameters often approaching the equivalent of
one-half of vessel wall thickness, and large grains are those having
diameters greater than one-half of wall thickness. In those cases in which
temper observations could be made in abraded or eroded sections of vessel
surfaces, indicated grain size is probably smaller than would be recorded
in a sherd cross-section, as manufacturing techniques appear to have
resulted in concentration of smaller grains at and near vessel surfaces.
Descriptions of the vessels omit intersite comparisons for the sake of
avoiding repetition. Comparative data are contained in the general discus-
sion of ceramics which follows the individual descriptions. Included in
this discussion is Table 2, which presents data on jar capacities, an aspect
of Maya ceramics not usually examinable, but in this case easily determined
by simply filling the excellently-preserved jars with water. As in earlier
reports on Cayo District caves, all pottery drawings are one-quarter actual
size, while for photographs of selected specimens the scale is indicated
in accompanying captions.
16
Vessel Descriptions
/. Lot AP-2: Vessels in the area of the wooden box
2/1 Jar (Fig. 4a)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, curving inward in upper body to very
low outcurving neck; wide orifice. Angular junction between rim top and
body on interior. Lip rounded; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 26.5 cm., rim 18.3 cm., orifice 13.7 cm.;
height overall 21.9 cm., neck height 2.4 cm.; thickness at rim 0.7 cm.,
thinning in lower body. Overall height : neck height ratio 9.1 : 1; maximum
diameter : orifice diameter ratio 1.9 : 1.
Surface: Interior body unslipped, very well smoothed, with slight temper-
drag marks. Neck interior painted to junction with body, with very small
amounts of colour carelessly run below this line. Exterior slipped (self-
slipped?), with postslip red paint extending over neck and occasionally onto
shoulder. Body light-coloured, deeply raked or combed with a tool having at
least five teeth. Combing is more regular than in "raked" ollas. Surface
slightly rough in body, with signs that the potter's hands, or a smoothing
tool, picked up small amounts of the surface. Base stained; small firing
clouds on one side.
Temper: Very small opaque white angular fragments, almost certainly
crystalline limestone, visible in a few places; otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Creamy buff and red. Slip: Pinkish Buff. Paint: Pecan Brown.
Decoration: None except combing.
Remarks: On side, orifice to southeast. Contained broken cake of blue
pigment (AP 2/16) described in section on non-ceramic artifacts, below.
2/2 Jar (Fig. 4c)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick to thick sides, curving inward in upper body
to very low flaring to outcurving neck; wide orifice. Angular neck/body
junction on interior. Body profile somewhat squat. Lip rounded; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 36.8 cm., rim 28.3 cm., orifice 22.2 cm.;
height overall 29.8 cm., neck height 3.1 cm.; thickness at rim 0.8 cm.,
thinning in lower body. Neck ratio 9.6 : 1; orifice ratio 1.7: 1.
Surface: Neck interior painted, moderately well smoothed; body unslipped,
well smoothed but somewhat undulating, with much temper visible, and
extensively blackened. Paint extends approximately 2.2 cm. below neck/
body junction. Exterior neck painted, badly eroded at rim, flaked and pitted
elsewhere. Body unslipped, with many lateral temper-drag marks and tool
marks resulting from smoothing; small firing cloud on one side.
Temper: Very small opaque angular fragments (crystalline limestone) visible
on surfaces; otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
17
18
Colour: Interior unslipped, neck red; exterior the same. Unslipped area:
Light Pinkish Cinnamon. Paint: Hay's Russet.
Decoration: none.
Remarks: On side, orifice to north. Contained seeds and wood fragments.
2/3 Jar (Fig. 5a)
Form: Rounded, thick sides, curving inward in upper body to low outcurving
neck with prominent, sharply everted rim; wide orifice. Body profile slightly
subglobular. Lip rounded; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 42.0 cm., rim 33.5 cm., orifice 27.4 cm.; height
overall 33.0 cm., neck height 4.5 cm.; thickness at rim 0.9 cm., thinning
in lower body. Neck ratio 7.3 : 1 ; orifice ratio 1 .5 : 1 .
Surface: Interior body unslipped, with signs of burning and considerable
adhering charred material. Neck interior painted to junction with body; this
and body surface moderately well-smoothed but slightly undulating.
Red-painted area exhibits moderate burnish. Exterior unslipped or possibly
self-slipped, with red paint extending to neck base. Body has some
smoothing marks and temper-drag lines, with some temper visible on the
surface. Very slight firing cloud on one side.
Temper: Very small grains of calcite, dark angular fragments, and opaque
angular white fragments (crystalline limestone) visible on exterior; otherwise
not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Buff and red. Slip(?); Light Pinkish Cinnamon. Paint: Hay's Russet.
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Very small hole, punched from exterior, in one side. Lay partly
atop AP 2/4 and 5, inverted, with seeds below mouth.
2/4 Dish, Z-Angle (Fig. 4d)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick lower sides, rising to angle from which thick
upper sides curve outward to everted rim. Lip rounded, rim top slightly
insloping; low ring base.
Size: Diameter 31.9 cm.; height overall 9.8 cm., base height 1.3 cm.;
thickness 0.85 cm. in upper body, ca. 0.75 cm. in lower body.
Surface: Interior slipped, extremely high burnish, slight firing cloud at three
points on rim, suggesting contact with other vessels during firing; very
slight pitting in a few spots. Exterior slipped to angle only, with moderate
burnish; unslipped and well-smoothed below. Large area with firing dis-
colouration at area of largest firing cloud on interior rim.
Fig. 4
Vessels from Alcove I: a. AP 2/1; b. AP 2/6; c. AP 2/2; d. AP 2/4; e. AP 2/13.
unslipped orange red brown grey white
black
I . I
!^-.^v::L-^.-.-J^:ivl
rn
19
0
\
Fig. 5
Vessels from Alcove I: a. AP 2/3; b. AP 2/5.
20
Temper: A few very small angular white fragments visible on lower exterior
surface; otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Interior and exterior red (English Red).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Inverted beside AP 2/5.
2/5 Dish, Z-Angle (Fig. 5b)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick lower sides, rising to angle from which upper
sides curve outward. Lip rounded; low ring base.
Size: Diameter 31.7 cm.; height overall 9.0 cm., base height 1.0 cm.;
thickness 0.8 cm.
Surface: Interior slipped with high to very high burnish, darkened at four
more or less equidistantly spaced spots on rim, probably the result of
stacking on other vessels during firing; very slightly pitted, worn at the
bottom, with an additional firing cloud on one side of the worn area. Exterior
slipped to angle only, with moderate burnish and small firing clouds;
unslipped below angle, or possibly slipped and unburnished.
Temper: Not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel (ancient break showed no temper).
Colour: Interior and exterior red (English Red).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Broken in two pieces in ancient times and mended with four laces.
Set upright.
2/6 Jar (Fig. 4b)
Form: Rounded, thin sides, curving inward in upper body to medium vertical
neck with sharply everted rim; medium orifice. Squat body profile. Lip
flattened, with angular upper edge; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 24.4 cm., rim 10.8 cm., orifice 7.6 cm.; height
overall 22.4 cm., neck height 4.3 cm.; thickness 0.35 cm. Neck ratio 5.2 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 3.2 : 1.
Surface: Neck interior slipped, eroded, probably with slight to moderate
burnish originally; remainder unslipped, very well smoothed with very slight
lateral smoothing marks. Exterior entirely slipped, except possibly a
small patch at the base, with slight to moderate burnish, surface rough but
with no visible smoothing marks. Large firing cloud on one side; adhering
lime and mineral stains in several areas. Very small amounts of temper
visible on surface.
Temper: Very small white angular fragments, possibly calcite, at surface;
otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Appears somewhat friable at a break in the vessel base; otherwise
not examinable.
Colour: Interior unslipped area brown (Wood Brown); neck and exterior
Red (unspecified).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Placed in an upright position.
21
Afefcfc.
.
Fig. 6
Vessels from Alcove I: a. AP 2/9; b. AP 2/10.
22
2/9 Jar (Fig. 6a)
Form: Rounded, thick sides, curving upward to high shoulder, which curves
inward to the base of a low, flaring to slightly outcurving neck: wide orifice.
Lip rounded; base sharply convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 37.9 cm., rim 29.9 cm., orifice 25.1 cm.; height
overall 31.4 cm., neck height 4.4 cm.; thickness at rim 0.95 cm. Neck
ratio 7.1 : 1 ; orifice ratio 1 .5 : 1 .
Surface: Interior body unslipped, finely pitted as if through burnout of
temper, lower areas darkened (postfire?); generally well smoothed but
undulating. Neck interior painted to junction with body. Exterior neck
painted, with paint extending onto upper shoulder area. Body unslipped,
pitted, somewhat eroded and stained; well smoothed. Both interior and
exterior paint exhibits moderate burnish, with darkening perhaps resulting
from overfiring.
Temper: Very small opaque white partly angular fragments (crystalline
limestone?), plus occasional very small grains of quartz.
Paste: Soft and somewhat friable; core black, surfaces orange.
Colour: Unslipped areas buff (Light Pinkish Cinnamon), paint red (Mahogany
Red).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Portion of base broken away. Inverted, covering seeds and wood
fragments.
2/10 Jar (Fig. 6b)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, curving inward to very low outcurving
neck; narrow orifice. Body profile globular. Lip indented, with angular
edges, and slight channel at rim top. Base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 32.9 cm., rim 12.7 cm., orifice 7.9 cm.; height
overall 32.3 cm., neck height 3.7 cm.; thickness 0.6 cm. Neck ratio 8.7 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 4.2 : 1.
Surface: Interior unslipped, very well smoothed, blackened at bottom, with
very slight pitting in neck area. Exterior slipped (somewhat patchy on
neck), moderately high burnish to moderate in spots, flaked and eroded in
several areas, worn on the bottom, with very slight pitting over the entire
surface. A large firing cloud extends from the neck over most of the upper
body.
Temper: Many very small white angular fragments, probably largely calcite,
visible on worn areas of the base; otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Apparently somewhat friable, with a tendency to exfoliate; probably
uniform brick-red throughout. Not fully examinable, as vessel is intact.
Colour: Interior unslipped buff (Pinkish Cinnamon); exterior red (Hay's
Russet), with some areas darkened.
Decoration: none.
Remarks: On side with orifice to south; contained a small amount of dark
soil and some organic material.
23
r
Fig. 7
Vessels from Alcove I: a. AP 2/11; b. AP 2/12.
24
2/11 Dish, Z-Angle (Fig. 7a)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick lower sides, rising to angle from which upper
sides curve outward to rim. Lip rounded; ring base.
Size: Diameter 32.8 cm.; height overall 9.0-9.5 cm. (irregular), base height
1.1 cm.; thickness ca. 0.6 cm. (rim shape makes accurate measurement
impossible).
Surface: Interior slipped with high burnish, bottom and some areas of sides
extensively pitted, bottom also somewhat worn; small firing cloud at rim
on one side. Exterior slipped on upper sides, extending rather irregularly
over lower sides, with very high burnish on former area and very slight to no
burnish on the latter. Lateral temper-drag marks and tool marks present
on lower sides.
Temper: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Paste: Not examinable.
Colour: Interior and exterior red (English Red).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Broken in two pieces in antiquity, and repaired with three lacings.
Placed upright.
2/12 Jar (Fig. 7b)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, curving inward in upper body to very
low, insloping neck with small everted rim; medium orifice. Body profile
approaches maliform (apple shape); see vessel 6/4. Lip rounded, rim top
flat; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 28.2 cm., rim 9.7 cm., orifice 8.2 cm.; height
overall 24.9 cm., neck height 2.6 cm.; thickness 0.6 cm. Neck ratio 9.6 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 3.4 : 1.
Surface: Neck interior slipped, unburnished, slip apparently patchy; body
unslipped, very well smoothed, with some smoothing marks visible, and
little temper detectable. Exterior slipped with moderate burnish or less,
thoroughly pitted as if by temper burnout. Large firing cloud on exterior base
and part of sides.
Temper: A few white angular fragments, generally very small, visible on
exterior surface; otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Interior body unslipped (unspecified); neck and exterior red (Hay's
Russet).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Placed on side, orifice to southeast.
2/13 Jar (Fig. 4e)
Form: Rounded, thin sides, curving inward in upper body to medium vertical
to slightly insloping neck with small everted rim; medium orifice. Body
profile nearly globular. Lip slightly pointed, rim top flat; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 16.7 cm., rim 6.8 cm., orifice 5.4 cm.; height
overall 15.3 cm., neck height 2.5 cm.; thickness 0.45 cm. Neck ratio 6.1 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 3.1 : 1.
25
26
Surface: Interior neck slipped, very slight to no burnish; body unslipped,
very well smoothed, especially considering the small orifice diameter.
Exterior slipped with slight to moderate burnish, slip absent (worn?) on base
and partly on sides, extensively pitted as if by temper burnout; some
temper visible on surface.
Temper: A few very small white angular fragments on exterior surface;
otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Interior body unslipped (unspecified); neck and exterior red
(mixture of English Red and Mahogany Red).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: On side, orifice to the southwest, beneath AP 2/12.
2/14 Jar (Fig. 8a)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, curving inward in upper body to low
outcurving neck, with slight depression in body at junction with neck base;
narrow orifice. Globular body profile. Lip flattened, with sharply angular
upper and lower edges; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 31.5 cm., rim 12.6 cm., orifice 7.5 cm.; height
overall 31.4 cm., neck height 4.0 cm.; thickness 0.65 cm., thinning in lower
body. Neck ratio 7.9 : 1 ; orifice ratio 4.2 : 1 .
Surface: Interior unslipped, extremely well-smoothed except for parts of
neck; very small amounts of temper visible. Exterior slipped (neck probably
only partially), with high burnish, extensively flaked and pitted in areas
where firing cloud is not present. Large firing cloud extends from neck base
over much of upper half of body; very little temper visible.
Temper: Small amounts on exterior appear to be white angular fragments
similar to those encountered in other vessels; otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Interior unslipped buff (Pinkish Cinnamon); exterior red (Hay's
Russet), grading to black.
Decoration: Small pair of postfire scratched lines on exterior shoulder area.
Remarks: Placed upright; contained two seeds.
Fig. 8
Vessels from Alcove I: a. AP 2/14; b. AP 3/1 ; c. AP 5/2; d. AP 3/2; e. AP 5/3.
27
//. Lot AP-3: Vessels near alcove centre, east of AP-2
3/1 Jar (Miniature) (Fig. 8b)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, curving inward in upper body to
medium vertical to slightly insloping neck with small everted rim; medium
orifice. Slightly subglobular body profile. Lip rounded; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 10.9 cm., rim 6.4 cm., orifice 4.5 cm.; height
overall 10.3 cm., neck height 2.2 cm.; thickness 0.65 cm. Neck ratio 4.7 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 2.4 : 1.
Surface: Interior neck slipped, unburnished, largely pitted and eroded; body
unslipped, well smoothed, much temper visible. Exterior slipped with
moderate to high burnish, neck and parts of body eroded and flaked, with
some crazing. Lip badly eroded.
Temper: Very small whitish angular fragments visible on interior surface;
otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Interior body unslipped (unspecified), neck red-brown (Wood
Brown); exterior red (unspecified).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: In upright position; contained seeds and guano.
3/2 Jar (Aberrant) (Fig. 8d)
Form: Insloping, medium-thick sides, rising to medium flaring neck; wide
orifice. Very sharp junction between sides and base, with an appearance
suggesting a standard jar cut off in the shoulder area. Lip rounded, slightly
irregular; base flat to irregularly convex, with greatest protrusion or
convexity at the centre.
Size: Maximum body diameter 33.2 cm., rim 18.0 cm., orifice 13.4 cm.;
height overall (measured from maximum basal protrusion) 10.4 cm., neck
height 2.0 cm.; thickness 0.8 cm. (rim and body; latter determined prior
to reconstruction). Neck ratio 5.2 : 1 ; orifice ratio 2.5 : 1 .
Surface: Interior body unslipped, moderately well smoothed, with maximum
roughness at junction of base and sides, and smoothing marks visible over
almost all of surface. Neck interior painted to base, slightly to moderately
burnished. Exterior neck painted, with paint extending approximately 2 cm.
below neck base; very slight to no burnish. Body unslipped, sides with
many temper-drag and tool marks; base heavily scored with a broad-ended
tool. Considerable temper visible on both surfaces, especially the exterior.
Slight firing cloud on exterior base at one edge.
Temper: Minute to small grains of quartz (sand?); not examinable on a fresh
surface.
Paste: Somewhat friable; greyish core with buff surfaces.
Colour: Interior body unslipped brownish (Mikado Brown), neck red
(Vinaceous-Russet); exterior the same, with some lighter and darker patches
on the body.
Decoration: none.
Remarks: In upright position; broken.
28
///. Lot AP-5: Vessels at north end of alcove
5/2 Jar (Fig. 8c)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, curving inward to low outcurving neck;
medium orifice. Body profile approximates perfect globe. Lip indented,
with angular edges, producing cornice effect with channel at neck interior
top; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 29.3 cm., rim 14.4 cm., orifice 8.2 cm.; height
overall 28.7 cm., neck height 3.7 cm.; thickness 0.8 cm. Neck ratio 7.7 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 3.6 : 1.
Surface: Interior unslipped, extremely well smoothed, with a very few
temper-drag lines on neck area only. Exterior slipped except for an area
below the rim, with moderately high burnish, somewhat flaked and pitted,
with slight crazing. Base was probably originally slipped, but slip is now
worn away. A very large firing cloud extends from the neck over most of the
upper body.
Temper: A few very small grains of quartz(?) visible in worn areas; otherwise
unexaminable.
Paste: Not fully examinable; whole vessel, but punched holes (see below)
show angular fracture and uniform reddish-orange colour.
Colour: Interior unslipped buff (Avellaneous); exterior except rim red (Hay's
Russet to Sayal Brown).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Placed with orifice down and to the east, beneath AP 5/3. Two
holes ("killing holes"?) punched in side from the exterior.
5/3 Dish, Z-Angle (Fig. 8e)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick lower sides, rising to angle from which thick
upper sides curve outward to everted rim. Lip rounded, rim top convex
and slightly insloping; ring base.
Size: Diameter 41.3-42.5 cm. (slightly irregular); height overall 12.2-12.7 cm.,
base height 2.0 cm.; thickness ca. 0.8 cm. in lower body, 1.05 cm. at rim.
Surface: Interior slipped, very high burnish, largely eroded in bottom and
partly on sides, with very slight pitting over most of the surface. Exterior
slipped to angle only, with high burnish; body below angle unslipped, but
largely burnished.
Temper: Some very small angular white fragments visible in eroded areas;
otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not directly examinable; whole vessel, but in eroded areas the paste
appears slightly friable and red-orange.
Colour: Interior and exterior red (English Red).
Decoration: At the angle, the body is encircled by a row of tool gouges
made from the left, raising very small amounts of the body at the right
margin of each gouge.
Remarks: Placed upright east of and partly over AP 5/2; cracked.
29
30
5/4 Jar (Fig. 9a)
Form: Rounded, thick sides, curving inward in upper body to very low
outcurving neck; wide orifice. Globular body profile. Lip rounded; base
convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 44.5 cm., rim 35.5-36.0 cm. (slightly irregular
to oval), orifice 29.6-29.8 cm.; height overall 39.7 cm., neck height 4.6 cm.;
thickness 1.45 cm. at rim, thinning in sides and base. Neck ratio 8.6 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 1.5 : 1.
Surface: Interior body unslipped, very well smoothed but somewhat
undulating, with slight wear or erosion at the bottom. Neck interior coated
with red paint, with moderate burnish. Exterior neck painted red, with
paint extending slightly below neck base, and slightly to moderately
burnished. Body unslipped, well smoothed, with many vertical to slanted
temper-drag marks. Small firing cloud on one side, and base is somewhat
discoloured from firing.
Temper: Very little visible on vessel surfaces; probably like that of similar
vessels.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Orange-buff and red. Unslipped areas Light Vinaceous-Cinnamon
to Orange-Cinnamon; paint Vinaceous-Tawny.
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Placed upright, east of AP 5/3.
5/5 Bowl, round-side, incurving thickened rim (Fig. 9b)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, increasing to thick in upper body and
rim, which curves inward slightly to produce a slightly restricted orifice. Lip
rounded; base form unknown.
Size: Diameter 21.8 cm.; height, n.d. ( = no data); thickness at rim 1.0 cm.,
body 0.75 cm.
Surface: Interior slipped, probably originally with moderate to moderately
high burnish, extensively pitted and eroded. Exterior slipped over upper
body only, slip patchy and generally with slight burnish; remainder unslipped
and rough, with numerous smoothing marks.
Temper: Calcite, minute to occasionally very small grains, with rare very
small black angular fragments.
Paste: Friable; uniform pinkish buff throughout.
Colour: Interior and exterior upper body red (Hay's Russet); remainder of
exterior unslipped buff (Pinkish Buff).
Decoration: Interior plain; on exterior at base of slipped area is an encircling
row of tool gouges made from the left, raising projections at the right
margin of each indentation.
Remarks: Fragmentary; portions recovered in the area of Lot AP-5, and a
single large section from a pocket near the alcove entrance.
Fig. 9
Vessels from Alcoves I and II: a. AP 5/4; b. AP 5/5; c. AP 6/1; d. AP 6/2; e. AP 6/3.
31
IV. Lot AP-6: Vessels from Alcove II
6/1 Dish, Basal-flange (Fig. 9c)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick lower sides, flaring outward slightly above
small basal flange. Lip flattened and insloping; base form unknown.
Size: Diameter 32.2 cm.; height, n.d.; thickness 0.6 cm.
Surface: Interior slipped, moderately well burnished, extensively pitted (very
small pits), worn at rim. Exterior slipped, with moderate to moderately
high burnish, to edge of basal flange; unslipped below. Pitting present on
exterior, but less prominent than on interior.
Temper: Calcite, minute to very small grains (X-ray diffraction and
crystallographic analysis).
Paste: Moderately hard, with angular fracture. Uniform very light buff-grey
throughout.
Colour: Interior and exterior to flange red (English Red); exterior lower body
unslipped buff (unspecified).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Fragmentary.
6/2 Jar (Fig. 9d)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, curving inward in upper body to low
outcurving neck; narrow orifice. Body profile nearly globular. Lip flattened,
with slightly angular edges; base convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 19.4 cm., rim 7.0 cm., orifice 4.0 cm.: height
overall 17.9 cm., neck height 2.2 cm.; thickness 0.6 cm. Neck ratio 8.1 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 4.9 : 1.
Surface: Interior, probably including neck, unslipped, moderately well
smoothed (very well, considering small orifice diameter) except for bottom;
smoothing marks present in some areas. Exterior, including base, slipped,
probably originally with moderate to moderately high burnish; very badly
flaked and eroded, with much of lip eaten away.
Temper: Very slight amounts of minute to very small opaque white angular
fragments on exterior surface and in one eroded area; otherwise not
examinable.
Paste: Apparently moderately hard, only slightly friable; very slight grey
core, with orange surfaces.
Colour: Interior unslipped orange-buff (Pale Ochraceous to Salmon and
Light Ochraceous-Salmon). Exterior brown (Sayal Brown to Snuff Brown)
with areas of grey (Mouse Gray); possibly an overtired red.
Decoration: none.
Remarks: On side, with orifice to east. Erosion has eaten through the vessel
sides in two places.
6/3 Jar (Fig. 9e)
Form: Rounded, thin sides, increasing to medium-thick at shoulder, curving
inward in upper body to low vertical neck with slightly everted rim. Lip
32
rounded; rim top convex and very slightly insloping. Base form unknown,
but probably convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter greater than 33.5 cm., rim 9.75 cm., orifice
7.6 cm.; height, n.d., neck height 3.8 cm.; thickness 0.4 cm. in lower body,
increasing to 0.55 cm. in shoulder area and 0.6 cm. at neck. Ratios not
determinable.
Surface: Interior, including neck, unslipped, moderately well smoothed in
body area, but somewhat undulating and with many lateral smoothing marks.
Body/neck junction rough; neck interior very well smoothed. Exterior
slipped, probably originally with moderately high burnish, with very slight
pitting; lip worn. Exterior now clouded with mineral deposit.
Temper: Minute to very small grains of calcite (X-ray diffraction and
crystallographic analysis), with very rare minute hematite nodules.
Paste: Hard, with angular fracture; uniform light orange throughout.
Colour: Interior unslipped buff (Cinnamon Buff); exterior red (English Red).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Fragmentary; upper body and neck only.
6/4 Jar (Fig. 10a)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, curving upward to high shoulder, from
which the sides rise to the base of a low, sharply outcurving neck; medium
orifice. The distinctive body profile, resembling that of an apple, is
designated maliform. Lip rounded and somewhat irregular; base sharply
convex.
Size: Maximum body diameter 29.8 cm., rim 16.1 cm., orifice 11.8 cm.; height
overall 25.1 cm., neck neight 2.5 cm.; thickness 0.7 cm. Neck ratio 10.0 : 1 ;
orifice ratio 2.5 : 1.
Surface: Interior body unslipped, very well smoothed, with no tool marks
visible. Neck interior coated with red paint, extending to neck base, with
slight burnish. Exterior slipped over upper body, with slip extending
irregularly over lower body and base, slight burnish. Neck painted red, with
paint extending a maximum of 4 cm. onto shoulder area. Body is somewhat
irregular, with many tool and temper-drag marks, mostly lateral. Slight
stain or firing cloud on lower body and part of the base.
Temper: Very small opaque white angular fragments visible on exterior
surface; otherwise not examinable.
Paste: Not examinable; whole vessel.
Colour: Interior body unslipped buff (unspecified). Neck interior and exterior
red (Hay's Russet). Exterior body slipped whitish-buff (Pale Pinkish Cinnamon).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Placed upright.
6/5 Jar (Fig. 10b)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, rising and curving inward slightly to
low outcurving neck; wide orifice. Body profile nearly globular. Lip rounded;
base convex.
33
rmv»$is
V
Fig. 10
Vessels from Alcove II and lower stratum of Alcove I
a. AP 6/4; b. AP 6/5; c. AP 6/6; d. AP 6/7; e. AP 7/1.
34
Size: Maximum body diameter 14.0 cm., rim 12.1 cm., orifice 8.9 cm.; height
overall 12.7 cm., neck height 1.8 cm.; thickness 0.65 cm. at rim, thinning
in lower body. Neck ratio 7.1 : 1 ; orifice ratio 1 .6 : 1 .
Surface: Interior body unslipped, moderately well smoothed, with no tool
marks visible; sides dark but base lighter in colour, with much temper
showing. Neck interior painted red, with paint extending irregularly to points
slightly below neck base. Exterior neck painted red, with paint extending
to approximately the neck base, just above decoration. Body unslipped,
moderately well smoothed but undulating, with a few slanted temper-drag
and tool marks visible; a small firing cloud occurs on the side near the base.
Temper: Apparently quartz sand; minute to small grains.
Paste: Moderately hard, with partly angular fracture; uniform greyish-black
throughout.
Colour: Interior body unslipped buff (unspecified). Neck interior and exterior
red (Hay's Russet). Exterior body unslipped buff (Light Pinkish Cinnamon).
Decoration: Single row of fingernail impressions encircles the vessel just
below the neck base.
Remarks: Inverted on alcove floor.
6/6 Basin, Z-Angle (Fig. 10c)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick lower sides, rising to angle from which upper
sides curve outward to sharply everted rim. Lip rounded, with angular
lower edge; rim top convex and insloping. Low pedestal base.
Size: Diameter 45.9 cm.; height overall 15.3 cm., base height 2.3 cm.;
thickness 0.65 cm.
Surface: Interior slipped, moderately high to high burnish, darkened in
lower area around worn or mis-fired bottom; slight surface pitting. Exterior
slipped to bottom of base, with slight to moderate burnish, and extensively
pitted. Lip worn.
Temper: A very few small fragments of what is probably quartz sand were
visible at a broken edge; otherwise not examinable. The amount of temper
appears to be minimal.
Paste: Hard, with angular fracture; dark grey core, orange-buff surfaces.
Colour: Interior and exterior red (Ferruginous).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Inverted on alcove floor. A small section was broken from the rim
in antiquity, and repairs were effected with three laces.
6/7 Basin, Z-Angle (Fig. 10d)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick lower sides, rising to angle from which upper
sides curve outward to sharply everted rim. Lip rounded; rim top convex
and insloping. Unusual dome-shaped pedestal base.
Size: Diameter 42.9 cm.; height overall 14.9 cm., base height 5.0 cm.;
thickness 0.5 cm. in lower sides, 0.75 cm. in upper sides.
Surface: Interior slipped, high burnish, colour lighter in lower body (firing
accident?); worn at bottom, and slightly flaked elsewhere. Exterior slipped
35
to bottom edge of base, with high burnish; lip and angle worn, with
considerable flaking elsewhere.
Temper: Only a very slight amount visible in an old break; not identifiable.
Paste: Uniform buff-orange throughout; fracture not examinable.
Colour: Interior and exterior red (English Red).
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Placed upright on alcove floor. Broken, probably in antiquity, with
a small portion missing.
6/8 Bottle (Not illustrated; see Malone 1971 :7)
Form: Biconvex body profile, with elongated neck, nearly vertical near rim.
Lip form unknown; apparently a pedestal base.
Size: n.d.
Surface: Interior very probably unslipped; exterior slipped.
Temper/Paste: n.d.
Colour: Red.
Decoration: Reverse-swag lines or paired arcs above mid-body angle; three
encircling lines on neck.
Remarks: Removed from the site by Mr. Woods, and not available for
examination.
6/9 Vase (Not illustrated; available sketch [Malone 1971 :7] inaccurate)
Form: Deep barrel-shaped profile; three round-bottomed hollow tubular feet.
Lip form unknown; base apparently flat.
Size: n.d.
Surface: Interior unknown; exterior slipped except for base and feet.
Temper/Paste: n.d.
Colour: Red.
Decoration: Possibly three encircling lines on upper body; feet decorated
with highly-detailed representations of human faces, apparently an old
man, possibly mouldmade.
Remarks: As for 6/8.
6/10 Jar (Not illustrated; see Malone 1971:7)
Form: Body globular; other data not available.
Size: n.d.
Surface: Neck interior and exterior painted red; remainder of body probably
unslipped.
Temper/Paste: n.d.
Colour: Neck red, remainder probably buff.
Decoration: none.
Remarks: Removed from the site and not available for examination.
Contained a necklace, briefly described under non-ceramic artifacts, below.
36
V. Lot AP-7: Vessel from subsurface stratum of Alcove I
7/1 Bowl, round-side (Fig. 10e)
Form: Rounded, medium-thick sides, diminishing to thin in lower body; lip
rounded, base form unknown.
Size: Diameter 26.2 cm.; height, n.d.; thickness 0.55 cm. at rim, 0.3 cm. in
lower body.
Surface: Interior slipped, with very high to extremely high burnish; slip
somewhat streaky, eroded in a few small areas. Exterior slipped over upper
body, unslipped below; slipped areas show moderately high to high burnish
except toward the bottom, where burnish is absent in spots. Both surfaces
exhibit marks of a rough-ended smoothing tool which produced numerous
very small parallel striations, both lateral and angled up to the right.
Temper: Minute to very small grains of calcite, with occasional grains of
quartz.
Paste: Moderately hard, with slightly angular fracture; extensive light grey
core, with orange surfaces.
Colour: Red on orange. Slip: Mars Orange. Decoration: Burnt Sienna.
Exterior lower body unslipped clay colour (Light Drab).
Decoration: Interior and exterior red rim band; body plain.
Remarks: Fragmentary. Recovered from the area beneath Lot AP-5, in the
transitional zone and the upper 1-1 .5 cm. of the yellow soil stratum.
VI. Sherd Material
Apart from the two highly fragmentary vessels described above (5/5 and
7/1), groups of sherds were encountered in Alcove I, scattered amongst the
whole vessels. These were thought at the time of excavation to represent
reconstructable vessels, and hence were collected in lots. Sherds in the
area of vessels 2/2 to 2/6 were given the designations 2/7 and 2/8
(apparently large jars resembling those in the AP-2 lot), while sherds of what
was taken to be a single redware Z-angle dish, recovered at the west side
of the area of Lot AP-5, were designated 5/1 . Subsequent examination
revealed that 2/7 and 2/8 consisted of 143 sherds, principally fragments of
unslipped jar body, but including rim sherds of at least three large jars
similar to those in Lot AP-2. AP 5/1 proved to be body and rim sherds of at
least two redware Z-angle vessels, probably resembling the complete
specimens encountered at the site. Addition of the minimum count of five
vessels represented by sherds would bring the total number from the site to
thirty-four, including the three removed from the cave and not available
for study.
37
General Discussion
Despite the range of sizes and shapes, and the variation in certain specific
vessel characteristics, the Actun Polbilche ceramic collection is essentially
homogeneous, probably due both to the nature of the vessels' use at the
site and to the short period of time during which the bulk of the activity
occurred at the cave. The seven shape categories represented in the collec-
tion are here considered in the order of their frequency, and secondarily
in terms of the amount of comparative and other data available for each.
/. Jars
Of the seven shape categories in the collection, jars are the most numerous,
with a total of 21 including the aberrant specimen 3/2, the three of which
only sherds were recovered, and the single specimen removed from the site.
Division of the group into three units on the basis of surface and/or shape
characteristics simplifies examination of the relatively few links between
these specimens and those from other sites, as well as of the traits which
may be markers of a Sibun Hills zone ceramic tradition.
(i) Jars, body unslipped or occasionally slipped, neck interior and exterior
coated with red paint; body profile globular, subglobular, or occasionally
maliform (11)
Although common at Actun Polbilche, vessels of this category have partial
parallels at only one other site, San Jose (British Honduras), where
unslipped globular jars with red wash or slip at the neck are reported
from the terminal Classic/early Post-Classic San Jose V phase (Thompson
1939: 138-9, fig. 76a-n,s; pi. 21c). The illustrations of San Jose specimens
indicate that resemblances to the Actun Polbilche collection are not close,
and the uniformly black paste of the San Jose specimens also serves to
differentiate the two lots. One San Jose vessel (pi. 21c) appears to be
characterized by vertical body striations not unlike those of vessel AP 2/1,
but on an unslipped rather than a slipped surface. Shape and orifice
diameter similarities are discernible between the two collections, but are
too general to provide additional substantiation for the link suggested
by the shared use of red neck painting.
(ii) Jars, body slipped (red), body profile globular (9)
Again, resemblances appear to exist between some of these vessels and
specimens from San Jose. Small-rimmed redware jars from San Jose IV and
V contexts are characterized by rim and neck shapes resembling those
of specimens AP 2/12, 2/13, and 3/1 (Thompson 1939: 130, fig. 70), but
other Actun Polbilche jars in this category have no counterparts in the San
Jose collection. No other site in the Central Maya Lowlands appears to
have yielded jars similar to those from Actun Polbilche, although an
unslipped greyware specimen with generally similar proportions is reported
38
from Rio Frio Cave A (Mason 1928: 33, fig. 13). In the absence of close
cross-ties with other sites, the jars of this category are probably best seen
as products of a ceramic tradition centred in the Sibun Hills area, with
influence possibly deriving in part from neighbouring zones.
(iii) Jar, aberrant form (1)
The third jar category is represented by a single specimen, AP 3/2, which
resembles vessels in category (i) in that the neck is painted red, but
otherwise is an entirely new vessel type, previously unreported. It is of
course possible that the neck and shoulder areas of such vessels might exist
amongst other collections of jar sherds, unrecognized because they are
identical in all respects with those from standard jars. The distinctive scored
base should, however, be readily identifiable, as the vessel fabric differs
materially from that of comals, the only other similarly scored ceramic objects
known from the area. The scoring, as well as the unusual shape, suggests
a specialized use for the vessel, but conjecture on this point has thus far
produced nothing either verifiable or even reasonably plausible. The presence
of red neck paint suggests contemporaneity with vessels of category (i).
As noted above, the existence of many whole vessels in the Actun Polbilche
collection has provided a basis for modifying the approach to classification
of neck heights and orifice diameters. Table 1 presents first the distribution
of maximum vessel height : neck height ratios, with three subdivisions
recognized, and then the distribution of diameter ratios coupled with data
on the neck heights of vessels in the diameter categories narrow, medium,
and wide. Although the table omits consideration of neck shape and its
possible relationship to body shape and size, it does seem to provide a valid
basis for suggesting that there may have been for the ancient Maya potters
of the Sibun Hills area (as perhaps elsewhere) a functional association
of orifice diameter with neck height.
Vessels at both ends of the orifice diameter range are characterized by
either very low or low necks, while those in the medium orifice diameter
category can be divided into two groups: very low/low, and medium. The
sole vessel failing to fit the pattern is AP 6/4, the maliform jar. While
vessels of medium orifice constitute a somewhat equivocal group, the
remainder suggest that there are significant relationships between low or
very low necks and either narrow or wide orifices. Such relationships
may occasionally be the result of technical problems, such as the difficulty
of constructing a medium or high neck if the orifice is narrow. They are,
however, perhaps more likely to be largely reflections of the potters' sense
of vessel balance and proportion, particularly in the case of the finely-
crafted redware globular jars.
Although less easily demonstrated metrically, the significance of relation-
ships between vessel categories and patterns of orifice diameter and
39
o
5
en
o
a)
ni
CO
O
z
CO
CM
CO
>
o
— . > ^
> 5
■* T-
CO CO
o
q
o
co
0)
0}
E
CO
CD
O
TJ
C
CO
-C
c
o
TO
CO
TJ
c
CO
0) ~
CO
2r
o
en
ra
O
o
CD
>
CM
1 —
CM
CM
^f
\
CD
CM
o
T~ "St
CO
CM
o
o
o
o
oo
40
T3
>
t
ir>
IT
3
>
>
CM
3 3
CM
in co
CO CM
■o
CD
E
II
o
c\i
E
T3
<D
CD m
cm eg
CO
CNJ
CO
CM
o
o
o
u-i
^
«*
41
neck height is probably a better clue to the uses for which the vessels were
designed. The jars with red-painted rims are, for example, all characterized
by low or very low necks, and with one exception (again AP 6/4) all have wide
orifices. In this instance, data on neck height and orifice diameter appear to
reinforce the sense of general homogeneity which marks this vessel group.
In contrast, the slipped jars include narrow orifice-low neck (3), medium
orifice-medium neck (3), medium orifice-low neck (1), and medium orifice-
very low neck (1), plus one fragmentary specimen. As the two larger groups
include both small and large vessels, it appears that the variety amongst
the slipped jars is not a result of lumping together specimens of basically
different types. One is therefore led to the conclusion that these facets
of form are not so closely related to intended use as may be the case with
the red-necked jars.
Table 2 presents a second body of metrical data derived from the Actun
Polbilche collection, which may have a bearing on vessel use. Vessel liquid
capacities, not usually determinable due to the fragmentary condition of
specimens, were measured by filling fourteen jars with water. Two (AP 3/1,
capacity .0847 gal., and 6/5, capacity .2084 gal.) were omitted from the
table because of their extremely small size. The table provides information
on capacity in Imperial gallons and litres, and on weight (of contents only)
in both pounds and kilogrammes, with the vessels listed in order by capacity
rather than catalogue number. Vessels are also identified by category (red-
necked or red-slipped) so that associations between capacity and category
can be readily determined.
It will be seen that 75% of the vessels fall into a group with capacities
ranging from .36 to 3.3 Imperial gallons (1.64-15.14 litres), within which the
weight increases separating any two vessels in order are small, ranging
from 2.0 to 4.9 lbs. (0.9-2.3 kg.). These vessels are clearly separated from
the remaining three, which have capacities of 4.58 to 7.92 gallons (20.9-36.0
litres), and weights ranging from 45.8 to 79.2 lbs. (20.9-36.0 kg.). The
weight increase separating the largest vessel in Group I from the smallest in
Group II is 12.5 lbs. (5.7 kg.), obviously a sharp demarcation line. Two
simple conclusions can, I think, be drawn from these data, the first of which
is that if one assumes liquid contents, the use of vessels in Group II for
transportation of material is ruled out on the grounds of unmanageable
weight. The same would likely be true even if dry contents were involved;
hence use of these vessels as storage containers seems most probable.
Secondly, it is probably significant that all of the red-slipped jars fall into
Group I, which indicates that they could have been used for transportation of
liquids (as well as dry materials). In view of this, consideration of other
features of the design of many of these vessels as indicators of possible use
seems warranted.
Amongst the red-slipped jars, the general design of neck, rim and lip seems
in all cases well-suited to use in pouring. Three of the vessels (2/10, 2/14,
42
Table 2
Vessel liquid capacities, by volumes and weights (water)
Vessel
Category
Capacity
Weight
No. (AP)
Imp. gal. /litre
Ibs./kg
Group 1
2/13
RS
.36/ 1.64
3.6/ 1.6
6/2
RS
.73/ 3.32
7.3/ 3.3
2/6
RS
1.15/ 5.23
11.5/ 5.2
2/1
RN
1.35/ 6.14
13.5/ 6.1
2/12
RS
1.84/ 8.37
18.4/ 8.4
6/4
RN
2.19/ 9.96
21.9/ 9.9
5/2
RS
2.50/11.37
25.0/11.4
2/14
RS
2.92/13.27
29.2/13.3
2/10
RS
3.33/15.14
33.3/15.1
Group II
2/2
RN
4.58/20.90
45.8/20.9
2/3
RN
5.42/24.65
54.2/24.7
5/4
RN
7.92/36.00
79.2/36.0
and 5/2), which have the most fully-developed globular body profile, have
what appear to be specially-designed rims which make pouring particularly
easy. Fortunately, the excellent condition of the vessels permitted obser-
vations on this point as the water used in capacity measurements was
emptied from the specimens. None of the red-slipped vessels proved to be
so badly designed as to decant into my boot rather than the laboratory sink,
but the three mentioned above were found to have what amounted to
dripless pouring features, resulting from the sharp angle between lip and
neck interior, the bevelled to slightly indented lip, and in the case of 5/2
perhaps the encircling groove on the neck interior. If the ease with which a
20th-century North American can pour liquid from the jars is an indication
of ancient use, then identification of the red-slipped groups as water jars has
a solid basis. Obviously many of the red-necked jars could have seen
similar use, but if so the ancient users must have struggled with drips and
uncontrolled sloshing much as I did
One final facet of the jars should be mentioned, which is the production
techniques of which evidence is discernible. Frequent notations regarding
the presence of smoothing marks, tool marks, and temper-drag lines
indicate that jar surfaces, particularly interiors, were not always so fully
manipulated as to remove all traces of the production process. Most of the
interior surfaces appear to have been scraped laterally, with scraping
occasionally angling upward in the upper body and shoulder areas, probably
due to the difficulty of working with the hand bent at the angle required
to reach the surface. Exterior surfaces are, expectably, generally better
finished, although temper-drag lines are also visible here. Perhaps to some
extent this slight surface defect was unavoidable, although in other types
of vessels, notably the Z-angle dishes, it seems to have been a minimal
43
problem. It may be that the greater amount of temper in jars resulted in
temper-drag as surfaces were scraped, but it is also probable that the care
taken with jar surfaces was simply less than that lavished on other kinds
of vessels.
The degree of smoothing of the interiors of some jars with narrow orifices
(2/12-14, for example) seems higher than could have been achieved if
the work had been carried out after the jar was fully formed. This, plus the
rough neck/body joint present in some specimens, may indicate that the
body was completed and smoothed before the neck, made as a separate
piece, was joined to it. Apart from this feature and the high incidence
of firing clouds, perhaps suggesting that less care was taken in the firing of
jars than for other types of vessels, neither the whole jars nor the sherd
collection provides any further recognizable hints regarding production
techniques.
//. Z- Angle Dishes and Basins
Vessels of this category, but designated outcurving bowls, are reported from
San Jose V contexts (Thompson 1939: 140-1, fig. 78; pi. 21, d2 and e2).
Calcite temper is general at San Jose, and most of the vessels have plain
exteriors, or are decorated with a thickened band at the angle; encircling
bands of tool marks such as that on AP 5/3 do not occur at the site.
Bullard and Bullard (1965: 23, fig. 10a-i) illustrate Z-angle dishes from
Baking Pot generally similar to those from Actun Polbilche, but relate them
to basal-overlap San Jose IV dishes rather than the San Jose V types
cited above. The terminal Classic/early Post-Classic date of this form is
confirmed by occurrence at Altun Ha, as yet unpublished, in association with
Pabellon Modelled-carved and other markers of the 10th Century A.D.
The form is unreported from other Central Maya Lowland sites, and in none
of the reported occurrences is there a parallel for the dome-shaped
pedestal base of AP 6/7.
Two features of the vessels in this category merit brief mention. First is the
frequent occurrence of breaks, often across the bowl of the vessel, which
are repaired with lacings. While neither Thompson nor the Bullards mention
this as a characteristic of Z-angle dishes recovered at San Jose and
Baking Pot, it is common in the Altun Ha collection. Observations made on
modern vessels of somewhat similar shape suggest that the breaks are
the result of a defect in design, rather than a flaw in manufacture, but in any
case it is clear that the vessels were regarded as sufficiently valuable to
warrant repair. It is also obvious from the Actun Polbilche collection that
repaired vessels were still valued highly enough to be used as parts of
special assemblages. It may be, in fact, that broken Z-angle dishes were
consciously selected for such use.
44
The second feature of interest is the occurrence of small firing clouds at
three and four approximately equidistant points on the rims of vessels 2/5
and 2/4, respectively, plus a single cloud on the rim of 2/11. These quite
clearly indicate contact between the vessels and others during firing, and
suggest that three or four other vessels were set with small portions of their
bases resting atop the rims of these dishes. Beyond this, the careful finish of
the vessels leaves no clues as to aspects of the production process.
///. Bottle
As the Actun Polbilche specimen was not available for analysis, comparisons
must of necessity be kept to a rather general level. However, the highly
distinctive shape of the vessel makes possible establishment of clear links
between it and specimens from San Jose (Thompson 1939: 141-2, fig. 79a,
pi. 21e) and Rio Frio Cave E (Pendergast 1970: 39-40, fig. 11a). Those
from San Jose fall in late San Jose IV and in S.J. V, and a similar date is
likely for both the Rio Frio E specimen and that from Actun Polbilche. Willey
ef al. (1965: 364-5, figs. 222, 223) note occurrence of a similar shape in
the Tiger Run Complex (A.D. 600-700), suggesting links with the San Jose
specimens despite the disparity in dating. The rather different proportions of
the Barton Ramie specimens may indicate that Macal Orange-Red bottles
there represent a development largely or wholly separate from that at
San Jose and other sites perhaps 150 to 200 years later. Thompson reports
another possible occurrence at Yalloch, without date ascription. Although
Thompson classifies the San Jose vessels as jars with tapering orifices,
the fact that both the specialized shape and the treatment of the exterior
surface clearly distinguish the vessels from standard jars had led me to opt
for the term "bottle". Principal variation in the form appears to occur in
the vessel base, which may be convex, as at Rio Frio E, or marked by a ring
or pedestal stand, as at San Jose and Barton Ramie. The Actun Polbilche
specimen is closer to the San Jose (and Barton Ramie) form in this respect.
IV. Vase, barrel-shaped
Vessels of this shape may occur throughout the Late Classic, or at least in
Tepeu 1 and Tepeu 3 times, but the chronological position of individual
specimens is at best somewhat unclear. The Actun Polbilche specimen
resembles in shape a vessel from Cubeta Cave (Pendergast 1968: 381-2, fig.
6), which may be of Tepeu 3 date. Other barrel-shaped vases range in
time from Tepeu 1 at Uaxactun (Smith 1955: fig. 2c) and possibly at Actun
Balam (Pendergast 1969: 52), to Tepeu 3 at Tikal (Pendergast 1968- 382),
possibly in the Belize River Valley (Willey ef al. 1965: 371, fig. 245), and also
at Altun Ha, not yet published. The close association of the present specimen
with the probably San Jose V bottle and other ceramics of similar date
suggests a terminal Classic/early Post-Classic date for the vase. While it
45
may be that all vessels of this shape are of this date, it is also possible that
polychrome specimens are earlier, with vessels such as the present one
representing a reintroduction of the shape in monochrome at or near the end
of the Classic. No detailed statements can be made on the possibly
mouldmade human face tripod supports of the Actun Polbilche vase, but
they appear to be of a sort which suggests a late Tepeu 3 or San Jose V date.
V. Bowl, round-side, incurving thickened rim
Closest resemblances are with vessels of San Jose I V-V date reported by
Thompson (1939: 130-1, fig. 71 g), where "nail punches" are present in 6%
of the specimens. Although the decoration of the present specimen was
obviously produced with a tool, probably a stick with a single-bevel tip, the
shared use of this general type of decoration and general similarity of
proportions support ascription of a San Jose I V-V date to the Actun
Polbilche specimen.
VI. Dish, basal-flange
Specimens of generally similar shape, differing only in the presence of a
slightly thickened or pointed rim, are reported at Benque Viejo (Xunantunich),
where they appear to fall in the Early Classic (Thompson 1942: fig. 1 1 d).
Thompson (1942: 29) sees this vessel form as linked to the lateral-ridged
dishes of San Jose III, but in fact the illustration cited is of a vessel with a
projection of sufficiently large size and low placement to warrant classifica-
tion as a basal flange. The resemblance of the present specimen to that
from Benque Viejo may indicate an Early Classic date for AP 6/1. but the
different treatment of the flange and the close similarity in colour and
surface appearance to other Actun Polbilche specimens argues for a Late
or terminal Classic date.
VII. Bowl, round-side
Both the form and the decoration of this fragmentary vessel are too
generalized to permit intersite comparisons. Stratigraphic position of the
specimen, plus the distinctively high burnish of the vessel surfaces, suggests
that the bowl should be considered separately from the remainder of the
cave collection, and that it is probably of earlier date. It is possible that the
surface treatment will eventually prove to be characteristic of the Sibun Hills
area, and perhaps even of a specific portion of the Classic period.
Taken together, the thirty-four vessels from the cave appear to form a
reasonably homogeneous group temporally, as they do physically. With the
exception of the fragmentary red-on-orange round-side bowl, the collection
is likely to be entirely ascribable to the last decades of the Classic and
46
the early part of the Post-Classic, probably falling in the period between
about A.D. 850 and the mid to late 10th Century. The significance of the
red-on-orange bowl, and of the sherds associated with whole vessels,
is discussed further in the summary and conclusions section which appears
at the close of this report.
47
Non-Ceramic Artifacts
As with the ceramics, the nature of the Actun Polbilche collection makes it
both logical and desirable that the non-ceramic artifacts be described in the
groupings in which they occurred at the site. Thus divisions of the entire lot
of artifacts by type of material (e.g., shell, bone) have been abandoned
in favour of culturally significant lots, within which groups of similar objects
such as beads are considered as single units. As the non-ceramic artifacts
are in large part individual representatives of particular classes, or in
other instances are homogeneous groups, comparative data are presented
with object descriptions, and are summarized at the end of the section.
Measurements given are the maximum for each dimension unless otherwise
indicated; context, unless specified, is the surface and/or dark soil stratum
of Alcove I.
Object Descriptions
/. Lot AP-1: The wooden box and its contents
1/1 Wooden box, with lid
A small, oblong container, the body fashioned from a single piece of wood,
possibly a tree limb. The box has four low, oblong feet, the front two
extending upward onto the body as small projections apparently designed
as supports for the lid. The box front curves backward from the tops of
the projections, and the rear wall is also incurved, though less markedly than
the front. The interior corners are reasonably square at one end of the
top, but somewhat rounded elsewhere. All surfaces are well smoothed, and
undecorated. Traces of what appears to be black paint on the base and
feet suggest that the entire box might originally have been painted. The lid,
also made from a single piece of wood, has a shallow encircling groove
slightly less than half-way up the sides. The extremely thin top is very
slightly depressed at the centre, but this may be an effect of age. The front
edge of the lid is chamfered, while the back edge forms a slightly acute
angle. Portions of the box body are missing, while a major part of the lid has
rotted away. The wood is generally wormed, and is very light in weight
(Fig. 11a and Pis. 6-8).
Dimensions. Box length: 21.3 cm.; width 6.5 cm.; height 4.2 cm.; thickness
at base 1 .0 cm., ends 0.9-1 .7 cm., front rim 0.55 cm., rear rim 0.7 cm.
Feet are 2.9 cm. long; 0.75 cm. high (2.8 cm. including projections on box
front); and 1.4 cm. wide at the front, 1.6 cm. at the rear. Lid length: ca.
24.4 cm.; width 7.8 cm.; thickness at centre ca. 0.35 cm., at edges 2.0 cm.;
edge width 0.8 cm. Overall height of box with lid in position: 4.7 cm.
Dimensions of internal area: approximately 18.7 cm. long, 4.3 cm. wide, and
2.5 cm. deep.
Material. A small fragment, probably from the base, was submitted for
analysis, but unfortunately it disintegrated during treatment prior to section-
ing. Examination of the residue showed practically complete destruction
by fungi, with no cellulose remaining and all critical features of the cell wall
48
obliterated. The specimen was a hardwood, but no further identification
is possible.
Comparative material. Although wooden boxes were almost certainly
commonly included amongst tomb furnishings and in caches, no preserved
specimens have heretofore been recovered in the Maya area.
1/2 Bead, tubular
Curved tubular bone bead, tapering at one end. Round to oval cross-section.
Two encircling grooves at the larger end and three at the smaller end create
the effect of one and two encircling ribs, respectively (Fig. 11b and PI. 7).
Dimensions. Length: 5.05 cm.; width: 1.5 cm.; thickness: 1.1 cm.
Material. Mammal bone, species unidentified.
Provenance. Within wooden box.
Comparative material. Simple incised bone tubes, as well as perforated and
extensively decorated specimens, are common in the Central Maya
Lowlands. Willey et al. (1965: 499) provide a summary of distribution, to
which can be added a single specimen from Actun Balam (Pendergast 1969:
55, fig. 10e) and a number from Altun Ha, as yet unpublished. Ascription
of date is not possible, as the tubes appear to span all of the Classic at many
sites, and at Altun Ha also occur in the Pre-Classic.
1/3 Shell, cut and perforated
Complete shell, unmodified except for a transverse slit cut in the body and
a perforation near the umbo (Fig. 11c and PI. 7).
Dimensions. Length: 3.1 cm. Slit length 0.7 cm., width 0.2 cm. Perforation
diameter: 0.1 cm.
Material. Flamingo Tongue, Cyphoma gibbosum Linne (Caribbean).
Provenance. Within box.
Comparative material. Andrews (1969: 10) notes occurrences at Isla Cancun
in the late Pre-Classic, Holmul (Proto-Classic or early Early Classic), Tikal
(Late Pre-Classic and Early Classic), and Uaxactun (Early Classic). To these
can be added specimens from Altun Ha, not yet published, which occur
in both the Early and Late Classic, and resemble those from Holmul and
Uaxactun in having two punched holes in the body, one on each side of the
central ridge. The Actun Polbilche specimen differs from these, and cannot
be compared with perforated specimens from Tikal as data on them are
not available. No date can be ascribed to the present specimen on the basis
of the information now in hand.
1/4 Stingray spine
Small stingray spine, unmodified except for calcining at the base (Fig. 1 1 d
and PI. 7).
Length. 6.2 cm.
Provenance. Within box.
Comparative material. Stingray spines are so widely distributed in time and
space in the Maya area as to make comparisons fruitless.
49
i-4
*~mJBt (ZJ
m
o
m o
k
! o : g ;
€
I
era (i
50
1/5 Needle, eyed
Curved and twisted bone needle, with conically perforated eye. A short
groove transects the eye on one side of the object. Base pointed (Fig. 11e).
Dimensions. Length: 7.4 cm.; width: 0.4 cm.; thickness: 0.3 cm. Eye
diameter: 0.2 cm., tapering to 0.1 cm. at opposite surface.
Material. Mammal bone, species unidentified.
Provenance. Within box.
Comparative material. Willey et al. (1965: 500) provide distribution data on
needles, none exhibiting the groove of the Actun Polbilche specimen.
The numerous specimens from Altun Ha include several with eye grooves of
various sorts, but no temporal significance can be attached to this trait.
1/6 Flake blade, obsidian
Irregular flake blade with squared tip (Fig. 11f and PI. 7).
Dimensions. Length: 7.5 cm.; width: 1.4 cm.; thickness: 0.3 cm.
Material. Brownish obsidian, with dark linear inclusions.
Provenance. Within box.
Comparative material. Obsidian blades are reported as cache elements
throughout the Maya area. The form of this blade is not sufficiently
distinctive to warrant comparison with specimens from other sites.
1/7 Pin, spatulate
Probable pin, expanding from a blunt tip to the base, which retains the
original form of the bone. Fragility appears to rule out use as a tool (Fig. 1 1 g).
Dimensions. Length: 8.7 cm.; width: 1.3 cm.; thickness: 0.5 cm.
Material. Mammal rib, species unidentified.
Provenance. At base of wooden box in an area in which the box bottom had
rotted away.
Comparative material. The form is not sufficiently distinctive to permit
meaningful comparison.
1/8 Jade object, carved
A small portion of a larger object, perhaps a pendant, broken, with the
broken surface repolished. Not perforated for suspension. The circle cut in
Fig. 11
Non-ceramic artifacts
a: Wooden box and lid, AP 1/1 k: Shell circlets, AP 5/9
b: Bone bead, AP 1/2 I: Provision Tree seed beads, AP 5/11
c: Flamingo Tongue shell, AP 1/3 m: Seed bead, AP 5/12
d: Stingray spine, AP 1/4 n: Jade pendant or bead, AP 5/10
e: Bone needle, AP 1/5 o: Maya Blue bead(?) fragment AP 5/16
f: Obsidian blade, AP 1/6 p, q: Daub fragments with pole impressions
g: Bone pin(?), AP 1/7 r: Daub fragment with maize leaf impression
h: Jade object, AP 1/8 s: Daub fragment, platelike
i: Wooden figurine foot, AP 2/15 t: Batty's Cave vessel, BC 1/1
j: Shell pendant, AP 4/1
51
the original surface creates a button-like effect, and the object may be
an earplug from a human-figure pendant (Fig. 11h).
Dimensions. Length: 1.3 cm.; width: 1.0 cm.; thickness: 0.45 cm.
Material. Jadeite (field inspection).
Provenance. Base of wooden box, with 1/7.
Comparative material. The object is not sufficiently distinctive to warrant
comparison.
//. Lot AP-2: Objects associated with vessels in the area ol the wooden box
2/14 Beads, seed, end perforations (2, fragmentary)
Approximately half, in each case, of a seed with surfaces possibly modified,
and a drilled or cut hole at each end (see 5/10 for illustrations of similar
specimens).
Dimensions. Length: 2.3 and 2.65 cm. Perforation diameters: 0.5 and
0.45 cm.
Material. Most probably seeds of the Provision Tree, Pachira aquatica Aubl.
Comparative material. No worked seeds have been reported from the Maya
area.
2/15 Fragment of human(?) figurine, wood
A foot and portion of the leg of what appears from the shape to have been
a human figurine. The sole of the rather wedge-shaped foot is hatched
with three longitudinal and at least two transverse lines (Fig. 11i).
Dimensions. Length: 2.65 cm.; width: 1.7 cm.; thickness: 0.6 cm. Leg
diameter: ca. 1.3 cm. Height overall: 1.65 cm.
Material. Wood, unidentified; surface appearance suggests almost complete
destruction by fungi.
Comparative material. A small wooden figurine of a man, seated cross-
legged, of Late Post-Classic date, was recovered from the cave of Dzab-na
in Yucatan (Stromsvik 1956: 465-6, fig. 2d), and at least one figurine,
possibly of Post-Classic date, is known from the sacred cenote at Chichen
Itza (Littlehales 1961 : 554). A remarkably well-preserved large specimen
is reported from the Tabasco-Peten border area, apparently dating from the
last century of the Early Classic (Ekholm 1964), and wooden figures are
also known from moulds encountered in a late 6th-Century tomb at Tikal
(Coe 1967: 50, 57). The specimens in this select assemblage are marked by
so much individuality that comparisons are meaningless. The one item of
note regarding the present specimen is that it may be from a standing
figure with limbs fully delineated, a form not previously recorded.
2/16 Pigment
Maya Blue, probably originally a shaped cake similar to specimen 4/3 (see
below), and almost certainly the "flat freeform piece of badly oxidized
copper" mentioned by Malone (1971: 5). Contained within vessel 2/1. Not
illustrated.
52
Dimensions. Not determinable, as the specimen is fragmented.
Weight. 17.13 grams.
Material. The sample has been subjected to microscopic, microchemical,
X-ray diffraction, and spectrographic examination. Initial observations
indicated that the specimen had the gross features of pigments described as
Maya Blue. X-ray diffraction studies produced a pattern comparing exactly
with that of attapulgite (now known as palygorskite). The many papers
on the Maya Blue problem, including those of Gettens (1962) and Shepard
and Gottlieb (1962), generally express the tentative conclusion that Maya
Blue is an indigo-clay complex of which the method of manufacture remains
unknown. Microchemical tests of AP 2/16 indicate chemical and heat
instability not previously reported for the pigment; heating to 300°C produces
a browning and a deepening of the blue, while tests with mineral acids
discharge the blue colour. These unusual features suggest that the specimen
may represent an interim step in the manufacture of Maya Blue, an example
of a manufacturing variation, or possibly a manufacturing failure. No firm
conclusions are possible at present, and further analysis of the specimen is
planned. A full report of findings is expected to be the subject of a
separate paper.
Comparative material. The studies cited above provide data on distribution
of Maya Blue samples, emphasizing the Post-Classic date of most or all
specimens. More recently, excavations at Eduardo Quiroz Cave, some 85 km.
southwest of Actun Polbilche, produced a lump of Maya Blue in a late or
terminal Classic context (Pendergast 1971: 76).
2/17 Flake blade, obsidian
A midsection fragment of an obsidian flake blade, with moderate amounts
of use chipping on both cutting edges.
Dimensions. Length: 2.3 cm.; width: 1.05 cm.; thickness: 0.35 cm.
Material. Light smoky grey obsidian, without inclusions.
Comparative material. No comparisons are necessary for this specimen.
///. Lot AP-3: Materials east of vessels near alcove centre
3/3 Spear
A wooden shaft, the base blunt and the tip tapering to a moderately sharp
point. There are slight dark areas near the tip, but no actual calcining of the
wood. The lower part of the shaft is extensively wormed, with holes
piercing the object completely in several places, but the wood remains
extremely hard (Pis. 3 and 9).
Dimensions. Length: 173.35 cm. Diameter: base 3.0 cm., midpoint 2.8 cm.,
tapering to tip from a point ca. 147 cm. from the base.
Material. Sapodilla, Achras zapota L.
Comparative material. A group of wooden shafts, similarly pointed and of
similar dimensions, is reported from a Rio Frio cave alcove (Ford Young,
53
personal communication), without known ceramic associations. The only
other possible cave occurrence is from Cave 3 in the Quen Santo area
of northern highland Guatemala, where fragments of wooden objects which
may have included one or more spears, as well as a spearthrower, were
recovered in association with incensarios of probable Post-Classic date
(Seler 1901 : 166-7, figs. 240, 243a-b) Spears of unspecified form, as well as
numerous other wooden objects, have been dredged from the sacred
cenote at Chichen Itza (Tozzer 1957: 198). Apart from these and the figurines
previously mentioned, a fragmentary Late Classic or Post-Classic drum
from the Cave of Balancanche (Andrews 1970: 54-5), a poorly-preserved
wooden bar (?) of terminal Classic date from Altar de Sacrificios (Willey
1972: 247), and a wooden bow of rather dubious ancestry recovered at
Uaxactun (Kidder 1947: 70) are the only other wooden artifacts presently
known from the Maya area. The widespread use of spears by the ancient
Maya is attested by numerous representations on pottery vessels and
in stone carvings, but most of these depict forms more elaborate than the
present specimen, frequently with what appear to be stone points. These
differences suggest that the Actun Polbilche specimen is a functional spear,
as opposed to the essentially ceremonial forms known only from depiction.
No sample could be obtained from the spear for radiocarbon dating, and
intersite comparisons shed no light on the temporal placement of such
objects.
IV. Lot AP-4: Materials from a small niche 40 cm. above floor level,
north end of Alcove I
4/1 Pendant, shell, irregular oval outline
Perforated pendant made from a section of shell wall, retaining the original
interior shell surface and much of the exterior. Top rounded; sides tapering
to a pointed base. Two perforations, drilled through from the outer (convex)
surface, opposite one another in the upper portion of the object (Fig. 11j).
Dimensions. Length: 6.1 cm.; width: 3.25 cm.; thickness: 0.3 cm. Perforation
diameters: 0.5 and 0.55 cm., tapering to 0.1 cm. at the reverse surface.
Material. Juvenile Queen Conch, Strombus gigas Linne.
Comparative material. Pendants made from sections of shell body are
common throughout the Maya area, covering a broad span of time. No
temporal significance can presently be attached to the shape or perforation
pattern of this specimen.
4/2 Beads, seed, end perforations (1, plus 1 fragmentary)
Seeds resembling generally the 2/14 specimens described above (see 5/10
for illustrations).
Dimensions. Length: 2.8 cm. Perforation diameters: 0.5 and 0.65 cm. (whole
specimen only).
Material. Seeds of the Provision Tree.
54
4/3 Pigment
Maya Blue, shaped into an irregular flat cake with roughly oval outline.
Surfaces are irregular, and are marked with numerous finger impressions as
well as some partial fingerprints. One edge broken away, apparently in
ancient times. Not illustrated.
Dimensions. Length: 5.55 cm.; width: 3.8 cm.; thickness: 1.0 cm.
Weight. 15.2 grams.
Comparative material. For discussion of material and comparative data, see
2/16, above.
4/4 Bead, Olive shell, spire-lopped
Single bead resembling those in lots 5/7 and 5/16, described below. Shell
unmodified except for removal of spire by lopping. Not illustrated.
Length. 0.8 cm.
Material. Verreau's Dwarf Olive, Olivella verreauxi Ducros.
Comparative material. While this species is not commonly reported in the
Maya area, use of Olive-shell beads is so widespread an ancient Maya trait
as to make intersite comparisons of any but the extensively-worked
specimens fruitless.
4/5 Beads, animal and human tooth (24, plus 15 fragments)
Animal teeth with single conical perforations through the roots, otherwise
unmodified, plus one human tooth, similarly perforateds. Presumably related
to the larger lot 5/13 (see below). (PI. 10p [Homo sapiens only].)
Perforation diameters. 0.1-0.3 cm.
Material. Dog, Canis familiaris, 19 incisors, 4 premolars, and 15 fragments;
Homo sapiens, 1 upper left central incisor. Detailed descriptions are
provided in the section on faunal material, below.
Comparative material. While animal tooth beads are widely distributed in the
Maya area, dog teeth, and canid remains in general, are less common
than might be expected. In the Central Lowlands, only three other sites are
known to have yielded remains of Canis familiaris. At Barton Ramie, one
definite and four questionable specimens were recovered from probable
Jenney Creek (earlier than 600 B.C.), Floral Park (100 B.C.-A.D. 300),
and possibly later contexts (Willey ef a/. 1965: 523); none of the teeth is
modified. Uaxactun produced a fragmentary mandible with a cut at the front
end (Ricketson and Ricketson 1937: 206) and unmodified bones from
general excavation, as well as perforated dog molars and canines from a
cache and structural deposits of both Early and Late Classic date (Kidder
1947: 57, 60, fig. 81a). Altar de Sacrificios yielded pierced dog teeth in
contexts ranging from Middle Pre-Classic through terminal Classic or early
Post-Classic, as well as unmodified Canis familiaris material of approximately
similar date (Willey 1972: 239, fig. 201a, b; Olsen 1972: 244). In the
Guatemalan highlands, Kaminaljuyu yielded 96 perforated dog canines, plus
skeletons in three tombs, a skull in one tomb, and unworked teeth from
five tombs, all contexts apparently Early Classic (Kidder, Jennings and
55
Shook 1946: 155, figs. 161e and 170g). At Zaculeu, three skeletons and one
skull are reported from burials, as well as one skull from a cache, all of
Post-Classic date (Woodbury and Trik 1953: 277-8). Unmodified dog remains
are common at Chiapa de Corzo, where the animal was a major item in
the diet (Flannery 1969: 210-11), but no perforated teeth are reported. In
contrast, Mirador, Chiapas, yielded two perforated probable dog canines
(Agrinier 1970: 68, fig. 52-7). On the southern Guatemala Coast, excavations
at La Victoria recovered unmodified canid remains and a single drilled
canine tooth, probably dog, all from Pre-Classic contexts (Coe 1961 : 108,
130-32, 148, fig. 59k). At the southern edge of the Maya area, a single
perforated dog canine is reported from San Augustin Acasaguastlan in the
Motagua Valley, in a terminal Classic or early Post-Classic context (Smith
and Kidder 1943: 170), while Copan yielded 10 perforated dog canines and
15 unmodified specimens, all of Classic date (Longyear 1952: 112, fig. 95h).
In northern Yucatan, only Mayapan appears to have yielded dog teeth;
two perforated canines of late Post-Classic date are reported from the site
(Pollock, Roys, Proskouriakoff and Smith 1962: 377, fig. 41h).
Perforated human teeth are reported from San Jose, where 7 molars and one
incisor were recovered from general San Jose V contexts, and a single
incisor from a San Jose V burial (Thompson 139: 179). Three specimens are
known from Altun Ha, not yet published, all of Late Classic date. The only
other reported occurrence is a necklace of human teeth from the sacred
cenote at Chichen Itza (Tozzer 1957: 197). On the rather slim basis provided
by these data, use of human teeth as beads appears to be a Late Classic
and Post-Classic trait, while the diversity of contexts and dates for perforated
dog teeth is so great as to make temporal placement of the Actun Polbilche
specimens impossible on typological grounds.
V. Lot AP-5: Materials in the area of vessels, north end of alcove
5/6 Pendant, shell, irregular oval outline
Almost identical to 4/1, differing only slightly in dimensions, and having
numerous longitudinal striations on the obverse, as well as a short groove
extending toward the base from the left perforation. See 4/1 for illustration.
Dimensions. Length: 6.15 cm.; width: 3.2 cm.; thickness 0.4 cm. Perforation
diameters: 0.6 cm., tapering to 0.1 cm. at reverse surface.
Material. As in 4/1.
5/7 Beads, Olive shell, spire-lopped (116)
Specimens resembling 4/4. Not illustrated.
Length. 0.4-0.85 cm.
Material. All Verreau's Dwarf Olive.
5/8 Beads, seed, end perforations, miniature (95, plus 1 fragment)
Tiny hard-shelled seeds with the ends cut away (in all but 2 cases, in which
56
a small insect perforation serves as the threading hole at one end); and
the core material removed. Not illustrated.
Dimensions. Length: 0.25-0.4 cm. Diameter: 0.3 cm. Perforation diameters:
less than 0.1 cm. to approximately 0.15 cm.
Material. Seeds most likely from a species of Nut-Rush, genus Scleria, in the
Sedge Family.
Comparative material. No similar specimens are known from the Maya area.
5/9 Circlets, shell (18, plus 21 fragments)
Generally narrow, thin circlets, varying considerably in dimensions, all
undecorated (Fig. 11k). Most of the fragmentary specimens appear to have
been broken in ancient times, and were probably deposited in the cave
in this condition.
Dimensions. Diameter: 0.8-2.15 cm.; width: 0.15-0.35 cm.; thickness: 0.1-
0.2 cm.
Material. The nacreous surfaces of the circlets suggest that they are of
Fresh Water Mussel, Nephronaias ortmanni Frierson.
Comparative material. A possibly similar form, classified as a ring, is
reported from a Spanish Lookout Phase (A.D. 700-1000) context at Barton
Ramie (Willey et al. 1965: 510, fig. 309f), and specimens resembling those
from Actun Polbilche in many respects are also recorded from Uaxactun,
date not specified, where they are classified as adornos (Kidder 1947:65, fig.
85a, 1-7). Artifacts of this type do not appear to be distinctive of any
specific period of Maya prehistory.
5/10 Pendant or bead, jade, pyriform
Small, somewhat irregular pyriform object, perforated near the tip (Fig. 1 1 n).
Identification as a pendant stems from isolated occurrence in association
with shell and other beads, suggesting that the lone jade object may have
been the centrepiece of a necklace.
Dimensions. Length: 1.25 cm.; width: 0.75 cm.; thickness: 0.6 cm. Perforation
diameter: 0.15 cm.
Material. Jadeite (X-ray diffraction).
Comparative material. The specimen is not sufficiently distinctive to warrant
comparison.
5/11 Beads, seed, end perforations (4, plus 2 fragmentary)
Specimens resembling 2/14 and 4/2 (Fig. 111).
Dimensions. Length: 2.5-2.9 cm. Perforation diameters: 0.5-0.7 cm.
Material. Provision Tree seeds.
See 2/14 for further data.
5/12 Beads, seed, side perforations (2, plus 1 fragmentary)
Obovate seeds with two flat and one rounded side, and a drilled hole at each
corner of the face formed by the two flat sides (Fig. 11m).
Dimensions. Length: 2.85; 3.0 cm. Perforation diameter: 0.45 cm. in all cases.
57
Material. Identification uncertain; the shape of the sides indicates that the
specimens most probably belong to the Family Euphorbiaceae, and possibly
to the genus Aleurites, but distribution of this genus in Central America
is not well documented.
Comparative material. No similar specimens are reported from the Maya
area.
5/13 Beads, animal and human tooth (504, plus 369 fragments)
Animal teeth resembling generally those from Lot 4/5, but including
additional species, and with one double-perforated specimen. The single
human tooth is also double-perforated (PI. 10).
Perforation diameters. 0.1-0.3 cm.
Material. Dog (Canis familiaris L), medium size, 466 complete specimens
and 183 fragments; dog, small size, 19 complete; dog, size unspecified,
probably medium, 167 fragments; Red Brocket (Mazama americana
Erxleben), 8 complete and 4 fragments; Homo sapiens, 1 upper right 2nd
incisor; Felis sp., 6 complete to fragmentary specimens; Mammalia sp.,
4 complete and 15 fragments. Detailed data on the specimens are presented
in the discussion of faunal material which appears below.
Comparative material. See Lot 4/5 for coverage of canid and hominid
comparative material. For data on distribution of other worked animal teeth
within and beyond the Maya area, see Kidder, Jennings and Shook (1946:
155), Lee (1969: 167), and Willey (1972: 239).
5/14 Pigment
Two small fragments of Maya Blue, apparently not parts of a larger cake.
Not illustrated.
Weight. .30 grams (combined).
Material. X-ray diffraction confirms similarity to specimen 4/3.
See discussion of 4/3 for further data on Maya Blue.
5/15 Shell, unmodified
Single valve of a pelecypod, unmodified. Contained in vessel 5/4. Not
illustrated.
Length. 4.35 cm.
Material. Fresh Water Mussel, Nephronaias ortmanni Frierson.
Comparative material. Comparison unnecessary.
5/16 Bead(?), pigment
Approximately half of a slightly irregular disc of Maya Blue pigment, with
central perforation (Fig. 11o). Contained in vessel 5/4.
Dimensions. Diameter: 2.0 cm. + ; thickness: 0.4 cm. Perforation diameter:
0.15 cm.
Material. Maya Blue (visual examination only).
Comparative material. No similar objects are reported from the Maya area.
58
5/17 Beads, Olive shell, spire-lopped (24, plus 16 fragmentary)
Olive shells similar to those in lots 4/4 and 5/7. Contained in vessel 5/4.
Length. 0.3-0.55 cm.
Material. Verreau's Dwarf Olive.
See other lots for further data.
5/18 Antlers, tips polished (2)
Shed antlers, unmodified except for some polishing (wear?) of tips. Not
illustrated.
Length. 3.8 cm.
Material. Red Brocket, Mazama americana Erxleben.
Comparative material. Comparison unnecessary.
VI. Alcove I, General
Distributed over the floor of Alcove I in the areas of Lots 2 and 5 were two
groups of material which reflect human activity at the site, although neither
is composed of artifacts in the usual sense of that term. The first consists
of splints of wood, many of which have at least one burned end. The majority
of the 60 specimens collected lay in the area of the wooden box and Lot
AP-2, with only 7 encountered within vessel 2/2. The splints range from
large slivers to pieces 15.3 x 1.4 x 1.0 cm., and most have the appearance of
having been split from larger pieces of wood. In view of the presence of
numerous burnt specimens, use of the splints as torches, perhaps bound
into bundles, seems likely. Samples submitted for analysis were found
to belong to the yellow or hard pine group, and most likely are the local
Pinus caribaea Morelet. On the basis of the abundance of compression wood
in the specimens, the splints appear to be from branches.
Identification of the splints as branch wood has a significant bearing on
evaluation of a radiocarbon date obtained from a part of the lot, which is
1325 + 110 C-14 years: A.D. 625 (GX-2397), based on the Libby half-life
of 5570 years. Unless the sample is assumed to be from the hearts of large,
old branches, the radiocarbon date should fix the approximate date of
cutting of the wood. The date seems too early, even at the upper end of the
1-sigma variation, to apply to the poltery vessels at the site, and may
suggest a longer period of use of the cave than is indicated by the bulk of the
ceramic evidence. This matter is given further discussion in the summary
and conclusions section, below.
The second lot of material from the alcove floor poses thornier problems
than do the pine splints. It consists of 39 fragments of unburnt clay daub,
with impressions of poles, leaves, and what appears to be grass (Fig. 1 1 p-s),
collected from the area of Lot AP-2 and the southwestern edge of the
Lot 5 area. These resemble quite closely specimens from Barton Ramie,
rather unfortunately termed "briquettes" at that site (Willey et al. 1965:
59
511-19, figs. 311-315). Included in the collection are fragments with
impressions of poles falling in the medium and small categories utilized at
Barton Ramie, as well as one with a maize leaf impression. Five of the
specimens have dressed corners, two show clear finger impressions, and
there is a single platelike fragment (Fig. 11s) which resembles generally
those from Barton Ramie, having a thickness of 2.3 cm., but lacking the
surface striations.
All daub specimens of sizes exceeding two or three centimetres square, as
well as smaller fragments exhibiting recognizable marks, were collected,
and hence it appears that, barring the unlikely possibility of removal of
specimens by the discoverers of the site, this very small lot is the entire
sample. As the clay is unburnt, and dissolves fairly readily in water, it is
possible that some fragments have disappeared, particularly in recent years
with the apparent increase in relative humidity and condensation drip in the
alcove. This does not seem likely, however, to have been a major cause of
destruction of the material. In any case, the presence of the daub fragments
at the site is not readily explicable, as it is clear that the alcove did not
serve as a dwelling area, nor is it likely to have contained a wattle-and-daub
structure of any great size, judging by the narrowing of alcove width within
three metres of the floor level.
The most likely explanation for the presence of the daub is that some sort of
pole screen or framework may have been constructed in the area of the
wooden box and Lot AP-2, perhaps to create a shrine enclosure similar to
mud-walled areas encountered in other Maya cave sites. The absence
of any remains of poles and other materials used in such construction seems
unusual in view of the preservation of other perishable objects, but it may
be that the daub itself contributed to the early decay of the structure. The
survival of no more than a small container of daub fragments unfortunately
dictates that this facet of the alcove's use remain in the realm of conjecture.
VII. Lot APS: Materials within vessel 6/10
Malone (1971 : 6-7) illustrates and describes briefly a necklace of eight(?)
Oliva shell beads with single body perforations, a bone(?) bead, and a
solitary globular jade bead, all apparently contained in vessel 6/10. As both
the vessel and its contents had disappeared from the site prior to our
investigations, no specific statements on these objects are possible.
60
Unmodified Vegetal Material
Alcove I yielded large quantities of unmodified vegetal material, including
leaves, which were obviously modern and were therefore not collected, plus
numerous seeds. A large number of the latter were encountered within
vessel AP 2/2, with smaller quantities coming from other vessels in the
alcove. The bulk of the material lay outside the jars, and in several cases
seeds were found beneath overturned jars, as with vessel 2/9. It was not
possible to determine from the context of the materials whether they
had been introduced to the cave by the ancient Maya or by animals. It is
conceivable that even the presence of seeds beneath vessels is the result of
burial by rodents rather than evidence for the existence of the materials
in the cave prior to placement of the vessels in position. As all of the seeds
come from fruits attractive to both man and beast, there appears to be
no means of determining whether the materials are part of the pattern of
human use of the site, or simply the accumulation resulting from the animal
occupation documented in the analysis of unmodified faunal remains
which appears below.
Species identified, in the approximate order of their frequency in the
collection, are: [Family Anacardiaceae] Spondias mombin L, Hog Plum;
[Family Polygonaceae] Coccoloba uvifera (L.) Jacq., Sea Grape: [Family
Sapotaceae], probably two members, Achras zapota L, Sapodilla, and
Chrysophyllum cainito L, Star Apple. At least two other types of seeds,
which defied identification, were also collected at the site.
61
Faiinal Material : Analysis by Elizabeth Luther
Faunal Species Identified
The faunal material recovered from the surface and top 6-7 cm. of the
Alcove I deposit, from a small niche at the north end of Alcove I, and from
vessel AP 5/4 and presented for examination consisted of 5129 specimens.
Of these, 4859 (95%) are of mammalian origin, 110 (2%), are avian,
27 are reptilian, 3 amphibian, and 113 of uncertain class. There are also
2 beetle and 15 fly specimens. Identification of this faunal material is
presented following the general discussions which appear below.
The 4859 mammalian specimens were found to include 467 representatives
of 12 species, as listed below:
Common Opossum Didelphis marsupialis (L.)
Shrew Cryptotis mayensis (Merriam)
Bat Chiroptera sp.
Man Homo sapiens (L.)
Forest Rabbit Sylvilagus brasiliensis (L.)
Big-eared Climbing Rat Ototylomys phyllotis (Merriam)
Hispid Cotton Rat Sigmodon hispidus (Say and Ord)
Rice Rat Oryzomys couesi (Alston)
Paca Agouti paca (L.)
Dog Can is familiar is (L.)
Cougar or Jaguar Felis sp.
Red Brocket Mazama americana (Erxleben)
The remaining 4392 bones and fragments were placed in broader taxonomic
groups, or classified as representing medium-sized or small mammal
species. Medium-sized mammal species in this area of British Honduras
might be expected to include opossums, forest rabbit, anteaters, armadillos,
paca, agouti, skunks, otter, raccoons, the smaller felids, peccaries, fox, and
dog. Small species include shrews, bats, mice, rats, and squirrels. Following
the presentation of data on distribution of faunal material by excavation
unit is a listing of the specimens by zoological taxa, with indications of
approximate age groups and numbers of individuals represented. Analysis
of the avian material will be the subject of a separate study, and data on
these specimens are not presented here.
The specimens available for analysis are not the complete faunal assemblage
from the site, but rather are the product of random sampling in the dark
soil stratum and underlying strata. The bulk of the faunal material appears
to have occurred in the archaeologically sterile subsoil of the alcove, which
in some areas contained so much bone that samples could be collected
in the field without dependence upon laboratory treatment. There is no
adequate means of gauging the relationship of the collected sample to the
total assemblage, but it appears iikely that what is described here is no
more than 5-10% of the bone occurring in Alcove I.
62
Archaeological Aspects of the Faunal Material
With the exception of the paca and the red brocket, none of the species
represented in the collection is likely to have served as a food resource for
the ancient Maya. As the red brocket is represented only by artifactual
material, consideration of the species as a food resource in this context is
not warranted. The paca specimens, which consist of teeth and alveolus
fragments, are of a somewhat more equivocal nature, but nonetheless
deposition by an agency other than human activity seems highly likely. The
remainder of the unmodified material is almost certainly unrelated to
ancient Maya use of the site.
Faunal Element Artifacts
Faunal element artifacts recovered from the cave and submitted for analysis
consisted of 2 drilled human teeth, 641 drilled whole and fragmentary
Canis teeth plus 217 fragments presumably from drilled teeth, 6 drilled Felis
teeth, 8 drilled red brocket teeth and 4 fragments, plus 2 red brocket
antler tines, and 4 whole and 15 fragmentary drilled teeth from unidentified
mammal species.
Breakage of the drilled teeth tended to occur through the area of the
perforation, and it appears that most of the fragments listed as not perforated
are root portions or slivers from areas adjacent to the perforation. Two
specimens, the human 2nd incisor and a canid 3rd incisor, have double
perforations, while another canid 3rd incisor has one perforation made too
close to the root edge, resulting in breakage, following which a second
hole was drilled closer to the root centre. All other specimens have single
perforations.
Sixty-three mesial and distal portions of premolar elements exhibit fracture
lines located mid-way along the crown surface. The edges of the fractured
surfaces appear to be purposively polished, as they are smooth in contrast
with the many other fragments of teeth that retain sharp and jagged edges.
Of the 854 medium-sized canid tooth elements present in the collection,
224 or 26% are upper 3rd incisors; this seems to indicate a preference on
the part of the ancient Maya for this particular tooth. A possible reason
for this preference is the fact that the substantial root structure of this tooth
is more suitable for drilling.
The red brocket antler tines appear to be polished at the tips, but are
otherwise unmodified. Use of the tines as awls or flakers may be indicated.
63
Zoological Aspects of the Faunal Material
The two human teeth from the site are the upper left central incisor and the
upper right 2nd incisor. Neither shows evidence of dental caries, but
some wear is present, with a pattern which indicates an overbite in both
cases. It is not possible to determine whether both specimens are from
a single individual. The slight amount of wear and the absence of dental
caries suggest that the teeth are those of a young adult.
Cricetinae extremity bones are listed as immature on the basis of the
absence of one or both epiphyses. The size of these bones ranged from
approximately half to the full size of those of adult individuals. The mouse
and rat materials from Eduardo Quiroz Cave also include a large proportion
(91%) of immature individuals (Savage 1971: 83), and a similar explanation
for this phenomenon can probably be adduced for Actun Polbilche.
Thirty-one bones of Cricetinae and eight avian specimens exhibit well-
defined small round perforations. The perforations may reflect the presence
of three types of carnivorous bats indigenous to Central America,
Phyllostomus hastatus, Chrotopterus auritus, and Vampyrum spectrum
(Peterson and Kirmse 1969). The perforations in one Cricetinae element
match exactly those which the ROM specimen of Chrotopterus auritus would
produce in a similar element.
Amongst the canid teeth, 19 small premolar and molar elements were noted;
these are deeply pitted, and show signs of considerable wear. It was judged
that these teeth, because of their adult appearance, are from a small
canid species such as the small Indian dog. No comparative material was
available for use in identifying the species further. The remaining canid
teeth, consisting mostly of incisors and premolars, are from medium-sized
animals. Only two canine teeth and nine identifiable molars were noted
in this portion of the collection. Identification of the canid materials as Canis
familiaris is based both on anatomical considerations and on the absence
of the wolf and coyote from British Honduras. The number of specimens pre-
sent suggests that they were extracted from a commonly-occurring species,
a fact which also indicates the domesticated dog rather than feral species.
The high proportion of incisor teeth (62% of the sample) amongst the
medium-size canid specimens could be an indication that the teeth are from
animals approximately five months of age, as permanent incisors, canines,
and first premolars appear between 5 and 6 months, 1st molars at 4 months,
lower 2nd molars at 41/2 to 5 months, upper 2nd molars at 5-6 months,
and 3rd molars at 6 to 7 months (Sisson and Grossman 1953: 501-3). This
does not, however, explain the small numbers of 1st and 2nd molars and
1st premolars present at the site, and it may be that cultural rather than
biological factors are reflected by the proportions of various teeth in the
collection.
64
Distribution of Faunal Material by Excavation Unit
Alcove I
Class Mammalia
Opossum sp., Didelphidae sp.
(1) left mandible, teeth absent
Yucatan small-eared shrew, Cryptotis mayensis
(3) right half mandible, one complete with teeth, one with 2 teeth absent, and one with all
teeth absent
(1) right innominate bone
Bat sp., large, Microchiroptera sp.
(1) right humerus, complete, 2 portions, epiphysis absent
(2) left humerus, distal %, epiphysis present and fused
(1) right radius, proximal Vz, epiphysis present and fused
(1) left radius, complete, epiphysis present and fused
(5) left radius, distal Va-Vz, epiphysis absent
(1) right ulna, proximal Va, epiphysis absent
(1) right femur, distal Va, epiphysis present and fused
Bat sp., medium, Microchiroptera sp.
(1) right humerus, distal %, epiphysis present and fused
(2) right humerus, distal Vz, epiphysis absent
(2) left humerus, proximal %, epiphysis present and fused
(2) right radius, complete, epiphysis present and fused
(1) right radius, complete, proximal epiphysis absent
(1) left radius, proximal Vz, epiphyses absent
(3) right radius, distal Va, epiphysis absent
(2) ulna, proximal %, epiphysis present and fused
(1) right femur, complete, 2 portions, epiphyses present and fused
(1) right femur, distal end absent, proximal epiphysis present and fused
(1) right femur, shaft portion only
(1) left femur, complete, epiphyses present and fused
(1) left femur, distal Va, epiphyses absent
(1) right tibia, complete, epiphyses present and fused
(1) right tibia, proximal %, epiphyses present and fused
(1) mandible, rami absent, teeth absent
Bat sp., small, Microchiroptera sp.
(1) right humerus, proximal %, epiphyses absent
(3) right radius, proximal Va, epiphyses absent
(1) left radius, distal Vz, epiphyses absent
(2) ulna, complete, epiphyses present and fused
(1) left tibia, complete, epiphyses present and fused
Bat sp., Microchiroptera sp.
(1) right mandible fragment, 1 premolar present
(1) mandible fragment, 1 premolar present
(1) radius, distal epiphyseal portion only
(12) shaft portions of radii
(2) complete metacarpals
(25) metacarpal portions with one epiphysis
(22) metacarpal shaft portions
65
(1) left scapula, complete, medium-sized
(1) left clavicle, complete, medium-sized
(6) ribs [2 complete, 4 fragmentary]
(1) right innominate bone
Forest rabbit, Leporidae sp., Sylvilagus brasiliensis
(1) ulna, distal portion absent, epiphysis absent
(1) radius, proximal portion only, epiphysis absent
(1) femur, proximal 1/4, epiphysis absent
Rat sp., Cricetinae sp.
Right humerus
(36) Large [element, rather than species, size]. 12 complete, 10 without proximal and
2 without distal epiphysis; 2 with distal end and proximal epiphysis absent; 18 distal
1/4-1/2, epiphysis present; 6 shaft portions.
(49) Medium. 13 lacking proximal epiphysis or end, distal epiphysis present; 1 with both
epiphyses, fusion of capital epiphysis incomplete; 25 distal 3/b-3M, 9 with epiphysis;
2 with both epiphyses absent; 4 proximal 1M, epiphysis absent; 4 shaft portions.
(7) Small-medium. All with distal epiphysis, proximal epiphysis or end missing.
(13) Small. 4 without proximal end, distal epiphysis present; 9 distal 1/4-3/4, 4 with
epiphysis.
Left humerus
(61) Large. 17 with distal epiphysis; 24 distal V4-3/4, 2 lacking epiphysis; 8 proximal
V4-V2, epiphysis absent; 12 shaft portions.
(47) Medium. 13 with distal epiphysis; 1 lacking epiphyses; 10 distal 1/2-3/4, with
epiphysis; 6 proximal V4-V2, 5 without epiphysis; 17 shaft portions.
(17) Small-medium. 2 with distal epiphysis present; 15 distal Va, epiphysis present.
(20) Small. Distal Vi, end absent
(24) shaft fragments (right and left)
Right radius
(3) proximal epiphysis present, distal absent
(1) proximal Vz, with epiphysis
(2) shaft portions
Left radius
(8) proximal V2, epiphysis absent
(I) shaft portion
Right ulna
(12) Medium-large, epiphyses absent
(II) Medium, epiphyses absent
(5) Small, epiphyses absent
Left ulna
(15) Medium-large, epiphyses absent
(17) Medium, epiphyses absent
(5) Small, epiphyses absent
Right femur
(16) Large. 6 proximal %-3/4, 2 with epiphysis; 9 distal %, with epiphysis; 1 with
incompletely-fused distal epiphysis.
(168) Medium. 17 whole, 2 with both epiphyses, 7 with distal only, 5 with proximal,
3 without either; 94 proximal %-%, 89 lacking epiphysis; 5 distal 1/4-3/4, without
epiphysis; 52 shaft portions
(60) Small-medium. 5 without epiphyses; 54 proximal Va-Va, lacking epiphyses;
1 distal %, without epiphysis
66
Left femur
(26) Large. 3 whole, lacking epiphyses; 10 proximal V4-V2, 1 with epiphysis; 13 distal
%-1/2, without epiphysis.
(101) Medium. 11 whole, 3 with epiphyses; 13 proximal Vz, epiphysis present; 3 distal
%, without epiphysis; 74 shaft portions.
(3) Small-medium, complete but lacking epiphyses.
(139) epiphyses; 130 distal, 9 proximal
(21) shaft portions
Right tibia
(52) Large. 20 complete with epiphyses (5 with distal only, 8 with proximal); 32 proximal
V4-V2, with epiphyses.
(7) Large-medium shaft portions
(19) Medium. 2 whole, with distal epiphysis only; 17 distal 3/a , with epiphysis.
(74) Small-medium. 60 distal V4-V2 with epiphysis; 14 proximal Va , with epiphysis.
(66) shaft portions
Left tibia
(20) Large. 19 complete, 5 with both epiphyses, 5 with distal, 9 with proximal only;
1 proximal % with epiphysis.
(16) Large-medium shaft portions
(58) Medium. 19 complete, 3 with distal epiphysis only, 1 with proximal; 25 proximal
1/4-1/2 with epiphysis; 14 distal % with epiphysis.
(47) Small-medium, distal V4-V2 with epiphysis
(5) shaft portions
(96) tibia fragments, not identifiable as right or left
Right innominate bone
(20) Large anterior 3A, 6 with only part of acetabulum
(76) Medium. 10 anterior 3/a with acetabulum; 40 anterior Va-3/a with part of acetabulum;
14 acetabulum sections; 12 posterior Va with edge of acetabulum.
Left innominate bone
(21) Large. 13 anterior %, 9 with acetabulum edge only; 6 acetabulum sections;
2 posterior Va with acetabulum edge.
(57) Medium. 33 anterior %, 23 with acetabulum edge only; 12 acetabulum sections;
12 posterior Va with acetabulum edge.
(5) fragments, not identifiable as right or left
Scapula
(7) fragments
Zygoma
(2) right
Petrotympanic bone
(76) 32 right, 16 left, 28 fragments
Occipital bone
(1) foramen magnum portion (fits Sigmodon hispidus)
Vertebrae
(582) 20 cervical, 14 thoracic, 138 lumbar, 384 caudal, 26 fragments
Sacrum (29)
Calcaneus (7). 2 right, 5 left
Talus (67). 27 right, 40 left
Metapodials (224)
67
Mouse sp., Cricetinae sp.
Right femur
(20) proximal %, 13 with complete fusion of capital epiphysis, 7 shaft portions.
Left femur
(14) proximal %, 9 with complete fusion of capital epiphysis, 5 shaft portions.
(12) portions of right and left shafts
Right tibia
(4) whole, 2 with proximal epiphysis only
(2) distal %, epiphysis present
(5) shaft portions
Left tibia
(1) epiphyses present
Right innominate bone
(3) anterior %, with acetabulum
Left innominate bone
(3) anterior %, with acetabulum
Rat sp., Cricetinae sp. (small Sigmodon hispidus or Oryzomys melanotis)
Right maxilla
(3) alveolar sockets for molars
Left maxilla
(1) 1st molar present, alveolar socket for 3rd molar absent
Rat sp., Cricetinae sp.
Right mandible
(2) part of ramus absent
Left mandible
(5) 2 with teeth absent, 2 with incisor, 1 with 1st molar; part of ramus absent in
4 specimens.
Rat sp., Cricetinae sp.
(38) mandible fragments; 22 right, 16 left
(15) maxilla fragments; 9 right, 6 left
(110) maxilla and mandible fragments, right and left
(17) molars
(275) incisor fragments
Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon hispidus
Right mandible
(53) 4 complete, with teeth; 24 lacking ramus, with molars and/or incisors; 14 lacking
both ramus and teeth; 11 fragments, 6 with teeth.
Left mandible
(49) 3 complete, with teeth; 17 lacking ramus, with molars and/or incisors; 9 lacking
both ramus and teeth; 20 fragments; 3 with teeth.
Right maxilla
(27) 5 with complete sockets and some or all teeth; 5 complete, lacking teeth; 17 with
some sockets missing, other teeth present
Left maxilla
(19) 3 with complete sockets and some or all teeth; 1 complete, lacking teeth; 8 with
some sockets missing, other teeth present; 7 fragments without teeth.
68
Coues' Rice Rat, Oryzomys couesi
Right mandible
(6) portion of ramus absent; 1 with incisor present, remainder lacking teeth.
Left mandible
(2) portion of ramus absent; 1 with incisor, 1 without teeth.
Big-eared Climbing Rat, Ototylomys phyllotis
(2) left mandibles, portion of ramus absent; 1 missing alveolar socket for incisor,
1 without teeth.
Red Brocket, Mazama americana
(2) antler tines, length 3.8 cm. (1 right, 1 left); tips appear to be polished.
(3) incisor fragments
Mammal sp., medium-large; Mammalia sp.
(5) fragments of extremity bone, including 3 shaft portions and 1 epiphyseal surface
(15) tooth fragments, 2 of which are from canine teeth
Mammal sp., small; Mammalia sp.
(1) proximal portion of ulna
Mammal sp., Mammalia sp.
(19) bone fragments, including 6 from extremity bones
Class Amphibia
Frog or toad sp., small; Anura sp.
(1) distal 1A of humerus
(1) right tibio-fibula
(I) right innominate bone, ilium portion
Class Uncertain
(3) small fragments of skull
(1) small fragment of alveolus
(1) extremity bone, epiphyses absent
(18) mid-shaft portions of extremity bones
(1) fragment of scapula (glenoid fossa and acromion)
(II) fragments, vertebrae(?), processes absent
(1) right mandible, teeth absent; single sockets
(14) very small bone fragments
AP 4/5 (artifacts)
Class Mammalia
Man, Homo sapiens
(1) upper left central incisor, shovel-shaped, perforated
Dog, Cams familiaris
(19) incisors: 8 upper right 3rd, 8 upper left 3rd, 2 lower right 3rd and 1 lower left 3rd.
(4) premolars: 2 upper right 2nd, one mesial and one distal portion; 2 lower left 2nd,
one mesial and one distal portion.
(15) fragments, 4 with perforations and the remainder without
69
Material from Vessel AP 5/4
Class Aves (Unidentified as to species)
(1) right femur
(1) left femur
(1) right tarsometatarsus
(2) left tarsometatarsus
(2) pelvic bones, very small
(6) long bone fragments
Class Mammalia
Opossum sp., Didelphidae sp.
(1) right mandible, subadult
(13) teeth
Bat sp., Microchiroptera sp.
(1) complete mandible, both canines present
(4) jaw fragments; 2 without teeth, 1 with 3 and 1 with 2 teeth.
(11) teeth
(3) right radius, large, complete; epiphysis absent
(1) left radius, large, complete; epiphysis absent
(1) right ulna, large, epiphyses present
(1) left ulna, large, epiphyses present
(12) carpometacarpals, large. 4 with epiphysis present; 4 proximal V2 with epiphysis;
4 distal 1/2-3/4, 2 without epiphysis.
(2) carpometacarpals, small, proximal portion only, epiphysis absent
(43) fragments of shaft portions of carpometacarpals
(50) rib fragments
(16) fragments of extremity bones
(6) metapodials
Rat sp., Cricetinae sp.
(1) right humerus, small, epiphyses present
(1) right ulna, large, proximal %, epiphysis absent
(1) right ulna, small, epiphysis absent
(1) left ulna, large, epiphysis absent
(1) right tibia, larger than largest specimen from Alcove I; line of fusion visible;
possibly Ototylomys.
(1) molar
Paca sp., Dasyproctidae sp.
(1) lower right 1st molar
(1) upper left 1st molar
(2) lower right 2nd molar
(3) incisor fragments
(13) alveolus fragments
Mammal sp., small; Mammalia sp.
(29) skull and jaw fragments
(2) petrotympanic fragments
(8) small incisor fragments
(130) vertebrae; 12 caudal, 110 unspecified, 8 fragments
(1) scapula, lateral border portion
(1) clavicle
(1) innominate bone, acetabulum, posterior superior portion
(2) calcaneus
(61) metapodials
(145) very small fragments
70
Class Reptilia
Lizard sp., Lacertilia sp.
(2) left humerus, 1 proximal and 1 distal end, epiphyses absent
(2) right feumr, 1 complete with epiphyses fused, 1 lacking capital
(2) left femur, 1 complete with epiphyses fused, 1 lacking capital
(1) left tibia, distal end and proximal epiphysis absent
(1) right tibia, complete, epiphyses absent
(1) right half mandible, teeth present
(1) right anterior portion of mandible with teeth, articular and angular portion absent
(6) left mandible; 1 lacking anterior tip ony, 2 anterior portions with teeth, articular and
angular portions absent, 3 posterior portions only.
(1) right maxilla, with teeth
(1) left maxilla, with teeth
(5) small portions of mandible, with teeth
(4) caudal vertebrae
Class Uncertain
(64) small fragments
Class Insecta
Beetle sp., Coleoptera sp.
(2) legs
Fly sp., Diptera sp.
(15) skins of blow fly or common housefly larvae
AP 5/13 (artifacts)
Class Mammalia
Dog, medium size; Canis familiaris
(The following abbreviations are used: f = fragment; d = distal portion; m = mesial;
I = lingual; II = labial; dx = deciduous.)
Incisors
upper right upper left lower right lower left
1st 12 12 1 4(2f)
2nd 16(4f) 23(3f) 13(5f) 15(3f)
3rd 96(1 6f) 112(23f) 21 18
(176) fragments; 119 upper 3rd, 4 lower 3rd, 53 unspecified; 132 lack perforations.
Canines
(2) 1 right, 1 left
Premolars
1st 5d 5(3m, 2d)
2nd 2(1dx, 1d-l) 10(8d, 1m) 4d
3rd 5(4d, 1m) 9d 16d 1 1 d
4th 2m-l 1m-l 3d 3d
(39) unspecified, all mesial portions; 6 without perforations, 5 fragmentary.
Molars
1st 111 2(1m, 1d-ll)
2nd lm-1 3 2
3rd 1
(2) cusp fragments
71
Dog, small; Canis familiaris
Premolars
upper right upper left lower right lower left
1st 1d-l
2nd
4th 3(2m, 1d-l) 2d-l
(7) unspecified; 4 d, 3 m.
Molars
1st 1 1d 1d
2nd 1
3rd 1
(1) unspecified, distal.
Dog, size unspecified; Canis familiaris
(167) tooth fragments, 113 without perforations.
Cougar or Jaguar, Felis sp. (all specimens drilled)
(1) upper left 1st incisor, slight wear
(1) upper left 2nd incisor, slight wear
(1) upper left 3rd incisor, slight wear
(1) lower right 3rd incisor, slight wear
(2) lower left 3rd incisor, slight wear
Red Brocket, Mazama americana (all specimens drilled!?])
(2) right 1st incisor, 1 with mesial edge worn, root tip absent
(2) right 2nd incisor
(1) left 2nd incisor
(1) right 3rd incisor
(1) left 3rd incisor, labial portion only, root tip absent
(4) incisor, small portion of enamel and root only
(I) 1st premolar, most of root absent
Mammal sp., Mammalia sp. (all specimens drilled!?])
(1) incisor
(1) upper 3rd incisor, possibly distorted from breakage, perhaps Canis sp.
(1) small canine
(4) fragments of canine tooth
(II) fragments of teeth, 3 with perforation
(1) premolar
72
Distribution of Faunal Material by Zoological Taxa
Skeletal element
Age Group
(Approx.)
No. of Individuals
Represented
(Note: f = fragment or fragments throughout)
CLASS MAMMALIA
Marsupialia
Didelphidae
Opossum sp.
Didelphidae sp.
15 specimens Right mandible (1)
Left mandible (1)
Teeth (13)
Insectivora
Yucatan Small-eared Shrew
Cryptotis mayensis
Subadult
Subadult
Subadult
4 specimens Right mandible (3)
Adult
Right innominate (1)
Adult
Chiroptera
Microchiroptera sp. (large)1
7 or more
29 specimens Right humerus (1)
Subadult
Left humerus (2)
Subadult
Right radius (4)
Subadult
Left radius (7)
Subadult
Ulna (2)
Subadult
Right femur (1)
Subadult
Carpometacarpals (4)
Subadult
Carpometacarpal f (8)
Subadult
Microchiroptera sp. (medium)*
6 or more
23 specimens Right humerus (3)
Adult
Left humerus (2)
Adult
Right radius (6)
3 adult, 3?
Left radius (1)
Adult
Ulna (2)
?
i Microchiroptera sp., large, in this area of British Honduras may be expected to include the
Fringe-lipped bat, Peters' False Vampire bat, Jamaican Fruit-eating bat, Big Fruit-eating bat,
Temminck's Mastiff bat, Wagner's Mastiff bat, and the Red Mastiff bat.
2 Chiroptera sp.. medium, in this area of British Honduras may be expected to include
Parnell's Mustached bat, Peters' Leaf-chinned bat, D'Orbigny's Round-eared bat, Pallas'
Long-tongued bat, Geoffrey's Tailless bat, Seba's Short-tailed bat, Allen's Short-tailed bat,
Yellow-shouldered bat, Anthony's bat, Tent-making bat, Isthmian bat, Gervais' Fruit-eating
bat, Dwarf Fruit-eating bat, Little Fruit-eating bat, Ipanema bat, Wrinkle-face bat, Vampire
bat, Hairy-legged Vampire bat, Mexican Dog-faced bat, Brazilian Free-tailed bat, Yucatan
Free-tailed bat, Big Free-tailed bat, Thomas' Mastiff bat, Allen's Mastiff bat, and Kerr's
Mastiff bat.
73
Age Group
No. of Individuals
Skeletal element
(Approx.)
Represented
Right femur (3)
Adult
Left femur (2)
1 adult, 1?
Right tibia (2)
Adult
Mandible (2)
?
Microchiroptera sp.
(small)3
3 or more
10 specimens
Right humerus (1)
?
Right radius (3)
?
Left radius (1)
?
Ulna (2)
?
Carpometacarpals (2)
?
Left tibia (1)
Adult
Microchiroptera sp.,
unspecified
205 specimens
Radius shaft f (13)
?
Mandible f (2)
?
Left scapula (1)
?
Left clavicle (1)
?
Right innominate (1)
?
Rib f (56)
?
Jaw f (4)
?
Extremity bone f (22)
?
Teeth (11)
?
Mandible (1)
?
Carpometacarpals (93)
?
Primates
Man
Homo sapiens
2 specimens
Upper left central incisor (1) Adult
Upper right 2nd incisor (1) Adult
Lagomorpha
Forest Rabbit
Sylvilagus brasiliensis*
3 specimens Ulna (1)
Radius (1)
Femur (1)
1 or 2
3 Chiroptera sp., small, in this area of British Honduras may be expected to include the
Mexican Funnel-eared bat, Spix's Disc-winged bat, Black Myotis, Eastern Pipistrelle, Brazilian
Brown bat, Southern Yellow bat, Little Yellow bat, Brazilian Long-nosed bat, Greater
White-lined bat, Lesser Dog-like bat, Greater Dog-like bat, Thomas' bat, Dobson's Mustached
bat, Davy's Naked-back bat, Brazilian Small-eared bat, Schmidt's Small-eared bat, and the
Brown Small-eared bat.
4 No skeletal representation of British Honduras species.
74
Skeletal element
Age Group
(Approx.)
No. of Individuals
Represented
Rodentia
Cricetinae
Hispid Cotton Rat
Sigmodon hispidus
151 specimens
Coues' Rice Rat
Oryzomys couesi
8 specimens
Big-eared Climbing Rat
Ototylomys phyllotis
2 specimens
Right maxilla (27)
Left maxilla (19)
Right mandible (54)
Left mandible (51)
Right mandible (6)
Left mandible (2)
Left mandible (2)
Mouse and rat sp.
Cricetinae sp.
3054 specimens
unspecified
54
253 or more
Right humerus (105)
Subadult
Left humerus (169)
Subadult
Right radius (6)
Subadult
Left radius (9)
Subadult
Right ulna (30)
Subadult
Left ulna (38)
Subadult
Right femur (264)
Subadult
Left femur (316)
Subadult
Right tibia (230)
Subadult
Left tibia (147)
Subadult
Tibia f (96)
Subadult
Metapodials (224)
?
Right maxilla (3)
?
Left maxilla (1)
?
Right mandible (2)
?
Left mandible (5)
?
Mandible f (38)
?
Maxilla and/or Mandible
f (125)
?
Molars (18)
?
Zygomatic arch (2)
?
Petrotympanic bone (76)
?
5 Cricetinae sp. in this area of British Honduras may be expected to include Coues' Rice
Rat, Alfaro's Rice Rat, Pygmy Rice Rat, Peters' Climbing Rat, Big-eared Climbing Rat,
Laurie's Climbing Rat, Sumichrast's Vesper Rat, Slender Harvest Mouse, and Hispid Cotton
Rat.
75
Age Group
No. of Individuals
Skeletal element
(Approx.)
Represented
Occipital bone (1)
?
Scapula (7)
?
Right innominate (99)
?
Left innominate (78)
?
Innominate, general (5)
?
Cervical vertebrae (20)
?
Thoracic vertebrae (14)
?
Lumbar vertebrae (138)
?
Caudal vertebrae (384)
?
Sacral vertebrae (29)
9
Vertebra f (26)
?
Calcaneus (7)
?
Talus (67)
?
Incisor f (275)
?
Dasyproctidae
Paca
Agouti paca nelsoni
20 specimens
Upper left 1st molar (1) Adult
Lower right 1st molar (1) Adult
Lower right 2nd molar (2) Adult
Incisors (3) Adult
Alveolus f (13) Adult(?)
Carnivora
Dog, medium size
Canis familiaris
854 specimens
120 or more
Upper dentition
R. 1st incisor (12)
Adult
L. 1st incisor (12)
Adult
R. 2nd incisor (16)
Adult
L. 2nd incisor (23)
Adult
R. 3rd incisor (104)
Adult
L. 3rd incisor (120)
Adult
R. 1st premolar (5)
Adult
L. 1st premolar (6)
Adult
R. 2nd premolar (4)
Adult
R. 3rd premolar (5)
Adult
L. 3rd premolar (9)
Adult
R. 4th premolar (2)
Adult
L. 4th premolar (1)
Adult
L. 1st molar (1)
Adult
L. 2nd molar (1)
Adult
Lower dentition
R. 1st incisor (1)
Adult
L. 1st incisor (4)
Adult
R. 2nd incisor (13)
Adult
L. 2nd incisor (15)
Adult
R. 3rd incisor (23)
Adult
L. 3rd incisor (18)
Adult
76
Age Group
No. of Individuals
Skeletal element
(Approx.)
Represented
R. 2nd premolar (10)
Adult
L. 2nd premolar (6)
Adult
R. 3rd premolar (16)
Adult
L. 3rd premolar (11)
Adult
R. 4th premolar (3)
Adult
L. 4th premolar (4)
Adult
L. 1st molar (2)
Adult
R. 2nd molar (3)
Adult
L. 2nd molar (2)
Adult
R. 3rd molar (1)
Adult
General
Canines (2)
Adult
Incisor f (172)
Adult
Premolar and molar f (39)
Adult
Tooth f (188)
Adult
Dog, small size
Canis familiaris
4
19 specimens
Upper dentition
Felidae
Upper dentition
R. 1st premolar
(D
Adult
R. 4th premolar
(3)
Adult
L 4th premolar (2)
Adult
L. 1st molar (1)
Adult
R. 2nd molar (1)
Adult
Lower dentition
L. 1st molar (1)
Adult
R. 1st molar (1)
Adult
R. 3rd molar (1)
Adult
Premolar and molar f (8) Adult
Cougar or jaguar
Felis sp.
6 specimens
Upper dentition
R. 1st incisor (1)
Adult
R. 2nd incisor (1)
Adult
R. 3rd incisor (1)
Adult
Lower dentition
R. 3rd incisor (1)
Adult
L. 3rd incisor (2)
Adult
Artiodactyla
Cervidae
Red Brocket
Mazama americana
14 specimens
R. 1st incisor (2)
R. 2nd incisor (2)
L. 2nd incisor (1)
R. 3rd incisor (1)
Adult
Adult
Adult
Adult
77
Skeletal element
Age Group
(Approx.)
No. of Individuals
Represented
Mammal sp., small
Mammalia sp.
381 specimens
L. 3rd incisor (1) Adult
R. 1st premolar (1) Adult
Incisor f (4) Adult
R. antler tine (1) Subadult
L. antler tine (1) Subadult
Skull and jaw f (29) ?
Petrotympanic f (2) ?
Incisor f (8) ?
Ulnaf(1) ?
Calcaneus (2) ?
Metapodials (61) ?
Clavicle (1) ?
Scapula (1) ?
Innominate bone (1) ?
Caudal vertebrae (12) ?
Vertebrae, general (110) ?
Vertebra f (8) ?
Very small bone f (145) ?
Mammal sp.. medium-
•sized
Mammalia sp.
21 specimens
Tooth f (15)
?
Extremity bone f (1)
?
Extremity bone shaft
portion (3)
?
Epiphyseal surface (1)
?
Premolar (1)
?
Mammal sp., general
Mammalia sp.
37 specimens
Incisors (2)
?
CLASS REPTILIA
Lizard sp.
Lacertilia sp.
27 specimens
Canine tooth (1)
Canine tooth f (4)
Tooth f (11)
Extremity bone f (6)
Very small bone f (13)
Right mandible (3)
Left mandible, anterior
portion (3)
Left mandible, posterior
portion (3)
Right maxilla (1)
Left maxilla (1)
Small jaw f with teeth (5/
Left humerus f (2)
78
Age Group
No. of Individuals
Skeletal element
(Approx.)
Represented
Right femur (2)
?
Left femur (2)
?
Right tibia (1)
?
Left tibia (1)
?
Caudal vertebrae (4)
?
CLASS AMPHIBIA
Frog sp., small
Anura sp.
1
3 specimens
Humerus portion (1)
?
Tibio-fibula (1)
?
Innominate bone
(Ilium portion) (1)
?
CLASS UNCERTAIN
1 14 specimens
Skull f (3)
?
Alveolus f (1)
?
Extremity bone f (19)
?
Scapula f (1)
?
Right mandible (1)
?
Bone f (89)
?
CLASS INSECTA
Coleoptera
Beetle sp.
Coleoptera sp.
2 specimens
Legs (2)
?
Diptera
Fly sp.
Diptera sp.
15 specimens
Skins or larvae, blow
Class Aves (not analyzed)
110 specimens
fly or common housefly (15)
Humerus (13)
Ulna (13)
Carpometacarpus (8)
Femur (12)
Tibiotarsus (14)
Tarsometatarsus (23)
Other elements (27)
79
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Dr. Howard Savage, Research Associate, Department of
Ornithology, ROM, for his supervision and advice, which were of great
assistance in the preparation of this report. My thanks go also to Dr. R. L.
Peterson, Curator, Department of Mammalogy, ROM, for permitting study
and use of his department's skeletal collection.
E.L.
Bibliography
Peterson, R. L, and P. Kirmse
1969 "Notes on Vampyrum spectrum, the talse vampire bat, in Panama." Canadian
Journal of Zoology, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 140-142.
Savage, H. G.
1971 "Faunal material." In Pendergast, D. M., Excavations at Eduardo Quiroz Cave,
British Honduras (Belize). Royal Ontario Museum. Art and Archaeology
Occasional Papers, no. 21, pp. 78-111. Toronto.
Sisson, S., and J. D. Grossman
1953 The anatomy of the domestic animals. 4th ed. W. B. Saunders Company,
Philadelphia and London.
80
Summary and Conclusions
Actun Polbilche, the first site in the Sibun River area to see controlled
excavation, has produced a range of ceramics and other artifacts which
shed light not only on the use to which the cave was put but also on links
between the Sibun Hills zone and other parts of the Maya area. Although the
initial trip to the site by its discoverers as reported by Malone (1971)
resulted in minor disturbance to some areas and removal of three pottery
vessels and a few other artifacts, the collection recovered by our exca-
vations in 1971 is very nearly the total assemblage from the site. In view of
this, and because most or all of the objects were recovered in what appear
to be the positions chosen for them by the ancient Maya, the excavations
provide an excellent record of one facet of the widespread pattern of
cave use reported from Belize, as well as a sample of the material culture
charactetristic of a previously unknown area.
The various contentions of Malone (1971) regarding the nature of the
artifacts and the use to which the site was put, based as they are on minimal
evidence and general lack of familiarity with Maya prehistory, need not be
discussed in detail here. It is sufficient to note that suppositions on Malone's
part as to residential use of Alcove I find no support in the archaeological
evidence. The "fire hearth" reported from the alcove is in fact a natural
feature of which Malone's excavation seems, from the physical condition of
the deposit, to have been less than reported, and the artifact assemblage,
though it includes many vessels of potential domestic use, points clearly to
specialized ceremonial utilization of the site.
The cave resembles in one significant respect Rio Frio Cave E, in which a
ledge or alcove served as the location for a group of vessels and other
objects forming an offering or cache, apparently deposited near the end of
the Classic (Pendergast 1970: 9, pi. 8). Placement of groups of vessels in
niches or alcoves, occasionally with other artifacts, and in this case
apparently combining collection of drip water with ceremonial offerings, is
also reported at Eduardo Quiroz Cave (Pendergast 1971: 12, 21-2, pis.
4 and 6), again probably falling in the terminal portion of the Classic. All of
these occurrences are almost certainly allied to the general pattern of votive
offerings in caves as described by Thompson (1959: 125-6), and perhaps
also with occurrences interpreted by Thompson (1959: 128) as simply depo-
sitions of goods, but possibly also part of the ceremonial use of cave sites.
The association of caves with zuhuy ha ("virgin water") provides, at sites
such as Eduardo Quiroz Cave, the most plausible explanation for the
occurrence of not only offerings but also masses of jar sherds, often stacked
in niches and crevices, and apparently representing the results of cyclic
destruction of vessels (Thompson 1959: 124-5; Pendergast 1971 : 112).
In other instances, of which Actun Balam is a notable example (Pendergast
1969: 59-60), the absence of ceiling drip makes the zuhuy ha relationship
an unlikely, if not impossible, explanation for ceremonial activities at
81
the site. If this is so at Actun Balam, it is even more clearly the case at Actun
Polbilche, where until recently the site has been so dry as to provide some
protection for normally perishable objects. Perhaps the link between
caves and the jaguar god of night and the underworld suggested by data
from Actun Balam (Pendergast 1969: 60) obtains in the case of Actun
Polbilche, although nothing in the collection points directly to this deity. It is
conceivable as well that concern with rain and drought is manifested in
the cave offerings; perhaps the driest cave known was seen as a sort
of representation of drought, and the best possible site for placement of
offerings designed to bring arid disasters to an end.
The ceramics recovered at Actun Polbilche provide a solid basis for
placement of the activity they represent in the terminal portion of the Classic
and the beginnings of the Post-Classic, probably no earlier than the mid-
9th Century, and most likely within the 10th Century A.D. Unfortunately, very
few of the non-ceramic artifacts are sufficiently distinctive to permit
comparisons with specimens from other sites, and where comparisons are
possible they shed no real light on dating. The physical associations of
the materials in the two cave alcoves do, however, suggest that the entire
assemblage can be viewed as a single entity, very probably representing
activity over a short period of time. The presence of some fragmentary
vessels of the same sorts existing amongst the complete specimens appears
to indicate that some destruction and replacement of vessels may have
taken place, perhaps in connection with annual renewal ceremonies, as may
have been the case at Eduardo Quiroz Cave (Pendergast 1971: 112). If
such cyclic destruction did in fact occur at Actun Polbilche, removal of many
vessel fragments from the cave or their placement in some undiscovered
crevice is indicated.
While the bulk of the evidence from the site points to short-term utilization,
two facets of the data indicate a longer duration of use. The single
fragmentary vessel (AP 7/1) recovered from the transitional zone and the
upper 1-1.5 cm. of the yellow soil stratum is both stratigraphically and
typologically separated from the remainder of the collection. While its
physical characteristics are not a good basis for temporal placement of the
specimen, it seems likely that the vessel is of Late Classic date. Whether
this can be taken as an indication of continuing cyclic destruction and
replacement of vessels during the Late Classic depends in large part upon
the extent to which one is willing to construct large hypotheses on the
smallest of foundations.
A second possible indicator of extended use of the site during the Late
Classic is the single radiocarbon date obtained from pine splints recovered
from the surface of Alcove I. Applying the maximum 1-sigma addition to
the mean date of A.D. 625 brings the latest date to only A.D. 735, near the
middle of Tepeu 2 times, perhaps a likely date for the vessel 7/1. The associ-
82
ation of wood of this age with the vessels is difficult to explain at first
glance, but further examination shows that two possible explanations exist.
First, it may be that the wood selected for analysis is from the hearts of
large branches, and hence the date is earlier than the activity represented
by the splints; secondly, it is possible that destruction and removal of
vessels was not accompanied by cleaning up of wood used in torches, so
that the splints may have been deposited during the entire span of use
of the alcove. The second view seems the more plausible, and together with
the fragmentary vessel 7/1 (and conceivably vessel 6/1 as well) appears
to point to a longer period of utilization of the cave than is reflected by the
bulk of the artifacts from the site.
Amongst the materials present at the site, only a small number appear to
have been unobtainable in the Sibun Hills area. The pottery, which can be
assumed to be of local area manufacture although it has affinities with
that from other sites, presumably was introduced to the cave from a
neighbouring surface site, perhaps related to the mounds noted along the
southern bank of the Sibun River. The wood, where identifiable, is of
species locally available, as are the seeds. The fresh water mussel shell
might have been collected from the Sibun River, and the bone could
certainly have been obtained in the vicinity of the cave. This is true also of
the dog and other perforated animal teeth, but it is worth noting that the
minimum individual count of 124 dogs suggests that either a long period
was spent in the amassing of the beads, or several teeth were collected in
each of many communities, or there were a great many edentulous dogs
gumming their repasts in one large settlement. Most of the faunal remains
are not the result of human activity at the site, and represent species
likely to occur in the immediate vicinity of the cave. The small portion of the
faunal material which may have been brought to the site by the Maya
likewise consists of locally-available species.
Materials obtained, though not necessarily directly, by trade include jadeite
and obsidian, both probably from sources in southern Guatemala, and
various marine materials (Queen Conch, Olive shells, Flamingo Tongue, and
the stingray spine), which could have come from the coastal areas of
Belize as little as 25 km. from the cave. The Maya Blue pigment remains in
the uncertain category; although Arnold (1967) discusses sources of
attapulgite (palygorskite) in the northern Yucatan Peninsula, none is known
from Belize at present. The occurrence of a considerable quantity of the
pigment at Actun Polbilche, coupled with the only other reported discovery
of a large sample, at Eduardo Quiroz Cave (Pendergast 1971 : 76), seems
to lend credence to the suggestion that sources of both the clay and the
colouring agent exist within Belize.
On typological grounds, Actun Polbilche can be said to be linked most
closely with the site of San Jose, some 45 km. to the west-northwest,
83
although the crossties suggesting affinities between the two sites are far
from extensive. Links spanning this distance are not overly surprising,
although the 45 kilometres include some areas through which travel is
rather an unattractive proposition; what is surprising is that Actun Polbilche,
lying as it does on the edge of the Belize River Valley area, exhibits very few
similarities with Xunantunich (Benque Viejo) and Barton Ramie, and
scarcely more with Baking Pot. This last-named site does share at least one
group of ceramic characteristics with Actun Polbilche, and in turn with San
Jose, perhaps a very shaky indication of some sort of relationship amongst
these sites which excluded the centres farther west along the Belize River. It
should be noted, however, that a San Jose vessel shape occurs in association
with Belize Valley ceramics at Rio Frio Cave E (Pendergast 1 970: 39-40). The
addendum on Batty's Cave which follows this discussion provides a bit of
additional data on links between the Sibun Hills and other zones, as also on
the span of occupation of the area. In any case, it is clear that the Sibun
Hills zone is characterized by a range of ceramic traits which as a group, and
in some cases individually, should serve to distinguish the zone from those
elsewhere in Belize and in the Central Lowlands in general.
Actun Polbilche stands out from most sites in the Maya area due to the
preservation within its relatively dry chambers of artifacts made of wood,
that material which played so important a role in ancient Maya life and which
is now represented by scarcely more than a handful of time-ravaged
objects. The preservation lends to the cave an aura of uniqueness and
importance which it surely would not have if the tropical humidity had
spared a quarter, or even one per cent, of the products of the ancient Maya
woodcarvers' art. Yet the site is important as the first source of data on
the archaeology of an area obviously distinctive both topographically and
culturally, and as an example of a pattern of cave use not yet well
documented for the ancient Maya. Many more caves are known to exist in
the Sibun Hills area, and their excavation would undoubtedly yield
materials of an interest equal to or greater than that of the Actun Polbilche
collection. Caves will, however, always represent but one aspect, and
that a highly specialized one, of Maya prehistory. For this reason any efforts
directed toward elucidating past events in the Sibun Hills area would be
more productive if concentrated on the search for surface sites, the data
from which should give us a picture of ancient Maya life in this interesting
zone far fuller than that provided by this report.
84
Addendum: Batty's Cave
At the time of our excavations at Actun Polbilche, Richard Woods had in his
possession a fragmentary pottery vessel which he had removed, together
with several bits of a carved jade pendant, from the site which is probably
Batty's Cave (see p. 50). The vessel was brought to the ROM for cleaning
and study. As the specimen is of unusual form, and may be distinctive of the
Sibun Hills zone, a description and an illustration of it are included in this
report as a small addition to the ceramic record for the area.
BC1/1 Bowl(?), tripod (Fig. 11t)
Form. Outcurving, medium-thick lower sides, rising to an encircling groove
above which is a convex area, bordered at the top by a slight indentation.
From the top of the convex area the sides curve inward slightly, probably
curving outward again to the rim; the upper body is missing. The base
is convex, with three low Ik-shaped solid slab feet. Lip form is unknown.
Size. Diameter 18.0 cm.; height, n.d.; height of feet 1.1 cm.; thickness 0.7-
0.8 cm.
Surface. Interior slipped, largely eroded, with extensive erosion in vessel
bottom, exposing core; probably originally with slight to moderate burnish.
Bottom somewhat pitted, as if from temper burn-out. Exterior, except
central area of base and backs and sides of feet, slipped; largely leached
and eroded, but probably originally with slight to moderate burnish. Most of
both interior and exterior discoloured due to firing accident; surfaces
heavily coated with flowstone.
Temper. Minute to very small grains of calcite, with rare hematite nodules.
Temper is plentiful in eroded area of bottom.
Paste. Hard, with largely angular fracture; extensive grey core, with
brownish surfaces.
Colour. Interior and exterior orange (Sayal Brown).
Decoration. Interior, plain; exterior convex area has encircling band of
irregularly-placed small impressed circles, produced with a hollow tubular
object, perhaps a sturdy plant stem.
Comparative material. The vessel shape is unreported elsewhere in the
Maya lowlands, but Ik- ("Tau") shaped feet occur at several sites. At Benque
Viejo (Xunantunich), feet of this form occur on redware dishes and bowls
in the initial Late Classic B.V. Illa-b (Thompson 1942: 26, figs. 15 and 16),
and a similar date applies to a redware dish from Mountain Cow IV at
Tzimin Kax (Thompson 1931: 317, fig. 15d). A slightly later date may be
ascribable to outcurving and flaring-side Vinaceous-Tawny and redware
bowls from S.J. IV deposits at San Jose (Thompson 1939: 119, 131-2,
figs. 60b, g, 62a, and 72d), and probably also to McRae Impressed: McRae
Variety vessels from Barton Ramie, which fall in the Spanish Lookout
ceramic complex, A.D. 700-1000 (Willey et al. 1965: fig. 238g). Specimens of
unspecified (Classic) date are also reported from Baking Pot, Camp 6,
Yalloch, and Copan (Thompson 1939: 132). The foot shape seems to be a
good time marker, and suggests placement of the present specimen in late
Tepeu 1 — early Tepeu 2 (ca. A.D. 650-750).
85
Remarks. The occurrence of this vessel in Batty's Cave is clear evidence for
use of the area during the initial stage of the Late Classic, prior to the
period represented by almost all of the material at Actun Polbilche. The
Ik-shaped feet also provide one of the better indications of links between
the Sibun Hills zone and areas to the north and west, suggesting a closer tie
with Benque Viejo (Xunantunich) and the upper Belize Valley than is
reflected in the Actun Polbilche ceramics. It would be more than premature,
on the basis of presently available evidence, to suggest a reconstruction
of prehistory in which such early Late Classic relationships were supplanted
by San Jose influence during the final gasps of Classic civilization, but
the data do at least provide grounds for speculation on this point.
86
Bibliography
Agrinier, P.
1970 Mound 20, Mirador, Chiapas, Mexico. New World Archaeological Foundation.
Papers, no. 28. Provo, Utah.
Andrews, E. W., IV
1969 The archaeological use and distribution of Mollusca in the Maya Lowlands.
Middle American Research Institute. Publication no. 34. Tulane University,
New Orleans.
1970 Balankanche, throne of the Tiger Priest. Middle American Research Institute.
Publication no. 32. Tulane University, New Orleans.
Arnold, D. E.
1967 Sak lu'um in Maya culture: and its possible relation to Maya Blue. University
of Illinois. Department of Anthropology Research Reports, no. 2. Urbana.
Bullard, W. R., jr., and M. R. Bullard
1965 Late Classic finds at Baking Pot, British Honduras. Royal Ontario Museum.
Art and Archaeology Occasional Papers, no. 8. Toronto.
Coe, M. D.
1961 La Victoria: an early site on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. Peabody Museum
of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. Papers, vol. Llll. Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
Coe, W. R.
1967 Tikal: a handbook of the ancient Maya ruins. University Museum, University o'
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Ekholm, G. F.
1964 A Maya sculpture in wood. The Museum of Primitive Art. Studies, no. 4.
New York.
Flannery, K.
1969 "An analysis of animal bones from Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas." Appendix II
in Lee, 1969 (see below).
Gann, T. W. F.
1929 Discoveries and Adventures in Central America. Charles Scribner's Sons,
New York.
Gettens, R. J.
1962 "Maya Blue: an unsolved problem in ancient pigments." American Antiquity,
vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 557-564. Salt Lake City.
Kidder, A. V.
1947 The artifacts of Uaxactun, Guatemala. Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Publication no. 576. Washington. D.C.
Kidder, A. V., J. D. Jennings, and E. M. Shook
1946 Excavations at Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala. Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Publication no. 561. Washington, D.C.
Lee, T. A., jr.
1969 The artifacts of Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico. New World Archaeological
Foundation. Papers, no. 26. Provo, Utah.
Littlehales, B.
1961 "Treasure hunt in the deep past." National Geographic, vol. 120, no. 4,
pp. 550-561. Washington, D.C.
87
Longyear, J. M., Ill
1952 Copan ceramics: a study of southeastern Maya pottery. Carnegie Institution
of Washington. Publication no. 597. Washington, D.C.
Malone, M. D.
1971 "An ancient Mayan cave." Pacific Discovery, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 1-8. California
Academy of Sciences, San Francisco.
Mason, G.
1928 Pottery and other artifacts from caves in British Honduras and Guatemala.
Museum of the American Indian (Heye Foundation). Indian Notes and
Monographs, no. 47. New York.
Olsen, S. J.
1972 "Animal remains from Altar de Sacrificios." Section VIII in Willey, 1972
(see below).
Pendergast, D. M.
1968 "Four Maya pottery vessels from British Honduras." American Antiquity,
vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 379-382. Salt Lake City.
1969 The prehistory of Actun Balam, British Honduras. Royal Ontario Museum.
Art and Archaeology Occasional Papers, no. 16. Toronto.
1970 A. H. Anderson's excavations at Rio Frio Cave E, British Honduras (Belize).
Royal Ontario Museum. Art and Archaeology Occasional Papers, no. 20. Toronto.
1971 Excavations at Eduardo Quiroz Cave, British Honduras (Belize). Royal Ontario
Museum. Art and Archaeology Occasional Papers, no. 21. Toronto.
Pollock, H. E. D., R. L. Roys, T. Proskouriakoff, and A. L Smith
1962 Mayapan, Yucatan, Mexico. Carnegie Institution of Washington. Publication
no. 619. Washington, D.C.
Ricketson, O. G., jr., and E. B. Ricketson
1937 Uaxactun, Guatemala: Group E — 1926-1931. Carnegie Institution of
Washington. Publication no. 477. Washington, D.C.
Ridgway, R.
1912 Color standards and color nomenclature. Washington, D.C.
Seler, E.
1901 Die alten Ansiedelungen von Chacula. Verlag von Dietrich Reimer, Berlin.
Shepard, A. O., and H. B. Gottlieb
1962 "Maya Blue: alternative hypotheses." Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Notes from a Ceramic Laboratory, no. 1. Washington, D.C.
Smith, A. L, and A. V. Kidder
1943 "Explorations in the Motagua Valley, Guatemala." Carnegie Institution of
Washington. Contributions to American Anthropology and History, vol. VIII,
no. 41 (Publication no. 546). Washington, D.C.
Smith, R. E.
1955 Ceramic sequence at Uaxactun, Guatemala. Middle American Research
Institute. Publication no. 20. Tulane University, New Orleans.
Stromsvik, G.
1956 "Exploration of the Cave of Dzab-na, Tecoh, Yucatan." Carnegie Institution
of Washington, Department of Archaeology. Current Reports, no. 35 (pp. 463-70).
Washington, D.C.
88
Thompson, J. E. S.
1931 Archaeological investigations in the southern Cayo District, British Honduras.
Field Museum of Natural History. Anthropological Series, vol. 17, no. 3. Chicago.
1939 Excavations at San Jose, British Honduras. Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Publication no. 506. Washington, D.C.
1942 "Late ceramic horizons at Benque Viejo, British Honduras." Carnegie Institution
of Washington. Contributions to American Anthropology and History, vol. VII,
no. 35 (Publication no. 528). Washington, D.C.
1959 "The role of caves in Maya culture." Amerikanistische Miszellen. Mitteilungen
aus dem Museum fur Volkerkunde in Hamburg, vol. XXV, pp. 122-129.
Kommissionsverlag Ludwig Appel, Hamburg.
Tozzer, A. M.
1957 Chichen Itza and its cenote of sacrifice. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and
Ethnology, Harvard University. Memoirs, vols. XI and XII. Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
Willey, G. R.
1972 The artifacts of Altar de Sacrificios. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and
Ethnology, Harvard University. Papers, vol. 64, no. 1. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Willey, G. R., W. R. Bullard, jr., J. B. Glass, and J. C. Gifford
1965 Prehistoric Maya settlements in the Belize Valley. Peabody Museum of
Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. Papers, vol. LIV. Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
Woodbury, R. B., and A. S. Trik
1953 The ruins of Zaculeu, Guatemala. United Fruit Company, Richmond, Virginia.
Wright, A. C. S., D. H. Romney, R. H. Arbuckle, and V. E. Vial
1959 Land in British Honduras: report of the British Honduras Land Use Survey
Team. D. H. Romney, ed. Colonial Office. Colonial Research Publications, no. 24.
H.M. Stationery Office, London.
89
90
Plate 1
Trie entrance to Actun Polbilche, seen trom slope below.
91
/
Plate 2
Chamber 1, seen from entrance area. Note large stalactite fragment atop pile of stones below
Alcove I (at right), and base of talus slope at left rear.
92
Plate 3
Alcove I, prior to excavation. The wooden box is concealed behind the three jars at the
far left.
93
Plate 4
Alcove II, seen from Alcove I.
94
Plate 5
The area of the wooden box, prior to removal of the covering stones. Vessel 2/6 is in the left
foreground, 2/11 and 2/10 at the right rear, and 2/9 in the right foreground.
Plate 6
The area shown in Plate 5, following removal of stones covering the wooden box.
95
Plate 7
Close-up of the wooden box in situ. The cut shell 1/3 is at the far left within the box, with
the bone tube 1/2 at its right. In the centre is the stingray spine 1/4, and at the right
is the obsidian blade 1/6.
Plate 8
The wooden box, including lid, after conservation treatment
96
Plate 9
The wooden spear from Alcove I. Length 173.35 cm.
97
Plate 10
Perforated teeth from Alcove I. All specimens are from Lot AP 5/13, except for p, which is
from 4/5. Groups a-o are all Canid.
a: upper 1st incisor
b: upper 2nd incisor
c: lower 3rd incisor
d: upper R. 3rd incisor
e: upper L. 3rd incisor
t: lower 3rd incisor
g: lower 1st premolar
h: upper 1st premolar
i: lower 2nd premolar
j: upper 3rd premolar
k: lower 3rd premolar
m: lower 4th premolar
n: premolar mesial sections
o: molars
p: human upper left central incisor
q: human upper right 2nd incisor
r: red brocket incisors
98
ht
>-
ft '
M
I
/ >
f ( L t
i
«b>->
g
Mill
k m n
I ?. 1 u
t
£ tiU i^
P
q
0
0 12 3 4
J
ti I
i * 4
99
Plate 11
Vessel 2/1, with red-painted neck and combed body. Height 21.9 cm.
100
Plate 12
Vessel 3/2, with red-painted neck. Note smoothing and temper-drag marks on body.
Height 10.4 cm.
Plate 13
Base of vessel 3/2. Diameter 33.2 cm.
101
Plate 14
Vessel 2/9, with red-painted neck. Note extensive pitting of body. Height 31.4 cm.
102
Plate 15
Vessel 2/10, red-slipped. Height 32.3 cm.
103
ISBN 0-88854-033-7
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11